Fire of Winds
by MikiFreaky
Summary: After Pandemonium, Ayano hoped things would settle down so she could try to figure out what to do with these strange feelings she had for Kazuma. But instead, the wind mage is acting funny, strange paranormal events are happen, and something big is going down. Will Ayano be able to stop it? Will Kazuma be able to keep his fire princess safe?
1. Chapter 1

The peace of the night was shattered by a hoarse, painful shout torn from a ravaged throat. In the depths of an expensive, unduly luxurious hotel penthouse suite, a man sat upright in his ridiculously large king-sized bed, sweat glistening on his sculpted bare chest and making his spiky deep brown hair cling to his forehead. Panting, he drew a hand back through his unruly locks and flopped back against the pillows, chest heaving as he stared up at the ceiling. His reddish brown eyes saw nothing, and after a moment he sat up again, the blankets pooling at his waist.

"What the Hell was that?" He muttered to himself, thinking back on the nightmare that had awoken him so rudely. He was used to nightmares; thanks to the hard life written in scars across his body, he had plenty of fodder for them. But this time, the nightmare was not one of his usual ones. Instead, his sleep had been disturbed by something he hadn't seen before. It was almost like he had dreamed a warning of what might come. At that thought, he stilled and clenched his hands into fists.

"Maybe. But I won't let that happen." He swore, looking over at a framed picture on his bedside table. He reached out and picked it up, dark eyes staring at the people within the frame for a long silent moment. In the photograph, a young boy with golden hair and bright, happy green eyes was laughing and smiling at the camera while an older young woman with long flame colored hair and crimson gold eyes wrapped her arms around the boy. This woman's face was lit from within by happiness and a deep sense of love and loyalty. Her chin was stubborn. Her whole manner screamed stubbornness. Even so... the sweat drenched man ran his fingers softly down her image in the photo before sighing and returning the frame to its spot by his bed.

"I'll protect them. Both of them." He swore, staring outside at the star speckled sky. A shiver of unease trailed down his spine and somewhere, out in the darkness of the night, a man with a smile cold as death and ambition rotting away his humanity smirked. Laughing chillingly, he turned and stalked deeper into the shadows, a beautiful young woman with emotionless blue eyes following him.

I yawned and hunched my shoulders, resting my head on the table in front of me as I whimpered. "It's totally not fair." I whined, rolling my eyes up to stare at my two best friends who sat on the opposite side of the table from me. We had just finished watching a new action movie at the theater and had been planning on heading over to Nanase's house to get some studying done for the upcoming math test but...

"Why do I have to do missions like this now? Doesn't Father understand the pain of exams!" I wailed, banging my head repeatedly on the table as I muttered stupid under my breath. Across from me, blonde Yukari snickered and pointed a finger at me.

"Oh, Ayano, you complain, but you secretly like it. For one thing you hate studying, and for another, you'll get to see Kazuma." She pointed out. At the mere mention of that arrogant pricks name my hackles rose and I glowered, sitting up to add power to my glare. Yukari, unrepentant, smiled back at me.

I sighed and shook my head. Nanase and Yukari think that my guardian and fourth cousin Kazuma Yannagi was madly in love with me, but I doubted he cared the least about me as a person. The only reason he hung around me was because my father paid him to make certain I was kept out of harm's way, not that I needed the constant babysitting in the first place. His three loves in life, in order of importance, were Money, Ren (his little brother) and his past lover Tsui-Ling. Or maybe it was Tsui-Ling, money, Ren? Anyway the point being I wasn't a blip on his radar. I was not even worth a moment of his time. Sure, we had gone from hating each other to being able to admit me might be able to stand one another, but that was it. There simply wasn't any chance of his feelings growing towards me any more than that simple because I am who I am. I am a Kannagi, a member of the strongest fire magic user clan in the world, and the embodiment of all he hates.

I would... to myself, admit that my feelings for him were much much deeper than friends, partners in work, or even extremely distant cousins. But he thought of me as his key to a stable income, a source of amusement, or even as some girl to toy around with on the side (womanizing playboy!) Not that I was jealous. I sighed again. Which was why I hated working with him. All these confusing thoughts and feelings made my already horrible temper ten times worse. Which made my fighting messy. Which made him pick on me. And then made me angry so I screwed up more and had to be saved by him. Which made my father think I needed the protection. It was enough to put me on edge and act even more childishly around him. I sighed again. Not to mention... recently, I had gotten an uneasy feeling from the powerful wind magic user. It was like he was constantly on edge for some unknown reason. I had asked him about it only to be brushed off. That man always treated me like a stupid kid, someone who got in his way more often than helped him. I admit that he is six years my senior and much more worldly, knowing more about things and how to deal with them. Not to mention his power is stronger than mine, even without taking his Contractor powers into consideration.

Even so, he could still talk to me. I'm not completely useless and in need of protecting. I am the heir of the Kannagi family and wielder of Enriha, the flame sword given to us by the Fire Spirit King when our families contract with her was made ages ago. I am not weak and I'm going to tell that arrogant bastard the next time I see him that he had better tell me wh- Pain flared up in my forehead.

"Princess, hello? I know you're prone to spacing out but this is ridiculous." A gravelly, suave voice said above my head. I clapped my hands to my forehead and looked up, seeing said arrogant bastard standing above me and watching me with mocking brandy colored eyes. He had flicked me in the forehead to get my attention, treating me again like a child. He doesn't even do that to his younger brother, who is the true child around here.

"Your old man called; We have a mission to go to and you're falling asleep with your eyes open again. The Kannagi family is in for a world of hurt with you as the next heir if you can't even stay awake to finish one task." Growling, I slammed my chair back and stood, hands fisting by my hips as I drew in a deep breath. About halfway to opening my mouth to give him a what for, I stopped. I wasn't going to fall into his trap again, no way. Gulping in air, I loosened my hands and turned to Nanase and Yukari.

"I'll stop by when I've finished eradicating the Yoma in the museum to get your notes, alright?" I said, smiling tightly before turning with a swish of my hair and walking out without saying a word to Kazuma Jerk-face Yagami. The stunned, pregnant silence hanging over the people I left behind made me smirk and I added extra swish to my step, feeling a little vindicated. After a moment I felt him hurrying back to my side, his hands in the pockets of his jeans. It made my heart thump wildly when he walked close to me, his shoulder occasionally brushing mine. I seethed at his ability to annoy and upset me without even saying anything.

"That was unusually mature of you, Princess. Something eating you?" He asked as we walked down the street. I noticed he was tense, watching everyone who came close to us and surreptitiously placing himself between me and the traffic side of the sidewalk, like I was a little kid or something. That made me angrier, but I bit my tongue hard and turned away from him. Drawing in a deep breath, I counted to ten and then answered him in the sweetest, most innocent voice I could muster, knowing it would annoy him greatly.

"No, not at all, Kazuma. But something is eating you. If you want to be an idiot and keep whatever is obviously an issue to yourself, that's fine. After all, I have no right to butt in, as you are oh so fond of reminding me. And I'm fine being left in the dark and treated like a child." I whirled around as I spoke, my hair flaring about me a little as my anger caused the air around me to heat up, disrupting the wind currents. "But if you are going to go hide the truth from me and then turn into some sadistic wind magic user again, I'm not going to bother about it. I've given up on caring. So I am going to do this job correctly and then get my father to fire you and send you on your merry way, because you obviously don't want to be here with me if so much a being near me causes you to look pained!" Shouting now, voice full of pain I didn't want to reveal, I was causing people to stop and stare at us.

My chest heaved from the force of my feelings and I was just ready to either burn something or cry. Kasuma, for once, didn't have a snappy comeback. He just stared at me, eyes wide. I hadn't wanted to tell him that, but now that I had let the words out, I knew that they were impossible to talk away or cover up. They were, after all, my true thoughts. After a few heavy seconds, I turned on my heel again and started walking away.

"Just go away, Kazuma. I can do this job without you hovering around, and it's not like it matters if you are near anyway since Father will pay you regardless." I didn't look back or wait for him, since the museum was right around the corner. I had finally gotten Kazuma to listen to me, but I felt horrible. I didn't want to rag on him like that all the time but his actions made it almost impossible for me to do anything but that exactly. Sighing, I walked up the steps to the big stone building and pushed the door open. I wiped off my face. It was time to act like the heir of the Kannagi.

"Hello? Ayano Kannagi is here. You called for an exorcism?" I called out as I looked around the empty marble foyer. I heard something from behind me and turned to see a timid looking, rather corpulent man sneaking out from behind a column. I walked over to him quickly and frowned when he jumped away, wrung his hands, and looked totally suspicious.

"Um... yes, yes, Miss Kannagi. Thank you so much for coming. So we have been hearing this awful wailing at night, and in the morning all of our precious exhibits in the back three rooms have been moved. We are at our wits end, and one of our patrons, a rather rich art collector, recommended your family to us. He said that even though you are young and reckless and likely to destroy things, you'll get the job done." He stuttered. I rolled my eyes and made a mental note to go smack that old client of mine after I finished this job. Yes, I had burned most of his mansion and yes, I had also broken a few windows, but the yoma infecting his collection was gone, wasn't it? No one was able to deal with those monsters without a little collateral damage! I ignored the little voice in the back of my head that told me that Kazuma could and did all the time.

"I'll do my best to keep the mess to a minimum, Sir. It's only the back three rooms, right?" I asked, rolling my shoulders and looking towards the back of the museum. "Alright, Ayano Kannagi is on the job! You'd be best to leave." I said, clapping my hands together in a burst of flames and shouting for Enriha. The man's eyes were wide and frightened when I looked over at him again, a natural reaction from someone who has never seen a magic user before. I softened my face and smiled at him.

"It's alright. But it'll be safer for you outside the museum." I gently reminded him, snickering as he practically turned and ran from the building. I faced the back rooms and called the fire spirits closer to me. As I walked through the museum towards the back rooms, I started getting an uncomfortable feeling like someone was watching me. Whipping around, I stared behind me but saw nothing.

"Kazuma?" I asked suspiciously, since he had the ability to be invisible if he chooses. However, Kazuma wasn't the type of guy to spy on me without my knowing. He's much more the type to watch me openly and laugh at me until I need help. Shaking off the weird feeling of being watched, I focused on trying to locate the yoma. As a fire magic user, I wasn't all that great at sensing where a yoma was hiding but I could usually get a feel for what general area or direction they were in. I finally got to the first of the three backrooms. It was much darker in here, as the windows were all covered by heavy black curtains and the displays empty. I frowned.

"Where are the artifacts? Did they move them? But if the yoma was inhabiting one of the artifacts then I'll have to go find them!" I wailed, upset. I started to turn to go find that pig man and make him squeal when a sudden increase in dark energy and movement in the back of the room caught my attention. I held Enriha up and called upon the flames residing in it to illuminate the room. What I saw made me shiver in sheer revulsion. A young boy, or maybe what used to be a young boy before he became the host for a yoma, was slouched in the shadows, body being slowly drained away into nothing but dust. A monstrously huge yoma in the shape of a hellish hound with three tentacle like tails was currently eating all the energy from the boy. It's body was shadowing and I could see through it like it wasn't totally manifested yet. On one of the display stands were written strange runes and stains in what appeared to be blood. My eyes widened and my blood ran cold as I realized what had happened. Someone had summoned the demon in front of me and used the now dead boy as the sacrifice to do so. I was thankful Kazuma wasn't with me then. He tended to lose his mind and go a little insane whenever sacrificial rituals were involved in our cases. Since his beloved Tsui-Ling had become demon food in one, I guess he has good reason to do so but it made it very hard to work with him, since he tended to just destroy everything in a scary rage.

That being said... demons summoned by this type of ritual were extremely powerful and hard to handle. Case in point is when that crazy bastard Bernhardt had summoned Belial using all those dumb kids as the sacrifice. It had taken all Kazuma, Ren and I had to just hold the guy down for three seconds so he didn't destroy the city. Of course, that was an extreme example because the yoma in front of me was nowhere near the strength of Belial. That being said it was powerful. Regular yoma that I fight are ones weak enough to cross between the yoma and human world barriers with relative ease because of their weak magic energy. The ones pulled through by ritual are much much harder to deal with. The beastie finished draining the boy's corpse and only his clothes remained. The hell hound's shadowy body seemed to phase in and out of solidarity as it's yellow, hungry eyes focused on me.

"You're fine, Ayano. There is nothing Enriha cannot burn." I told myself, getting ready for a hard fight. Snarling, the beast darted forward and I swung, but just before my blade hit it, the thing became nothing more than a shadowy mass and my weapon passed harmlessly through it. As I gasped, stunned, it came back into the physical world and used it's three tentacle tails to knock me back hard. As my back made contact with a granite pillar, Enriha flew from my grasp and all my oxygen left my lungs. I was stunned. My flames were meant to destroy yoma, so how had the fire of Enriha not harmed this monster? The yoma jumped forward and hovered over me, snarling and snapping at me, but strangely it did not go in for the kill. Instead, it used it's creepy tail to restrain me and walk to the back of the museum, dragging me struggling and fighting behind it. There, painted on the floor in more blood, was a demonic circle, which could be used to summon yoma or for quick transportation. My eyes widened as I realized that this thing was trying to capture me, or something like that. My anger grew inside me, fanning the flame of power I carried within me like all members of my family.

I am Ayano Kannagi, not some helpless woman! How dare this monster try to take me away! My emotions caused flames to break out around my body, startling the hell beast and making him left me go. I was still gasping for air, but I pushed the pain in my body to the back of my mind and clapped my hands together again, resummoning Enriha to my grasp. The yellow flames engulfing it wouldn't hurt this monster, though I felt better having it in my hands. There was really only one other thing I could try... Though it was a new skill, if I could pull it off, then I might be able to defeat this monster without having to get that bastard's help. Just thinking of him made me get angrier, though I'm not certain if I was angry at him or the thought of having this pain put on him again. "Uhg, never mind! Attack!" I focused on my inner power, trying to call the flame that slept within me to life. Sweat beaded at my brow and I had to fight to draw it out, but at last I felt the rush of strength sweeping through me.

Yes! With a yell, crimson fire licked down the blade of the wooden sword and I swung with all my might at the beast. It turned back into shadows, but this time my crimson flames ate away at it anyway, causing it to let out a horrible howl as I continued swinging and burning it until nothing remained. Panting, I stood still in the middle of the exhibit hall for a long moment, the beautiful crimson flames slowly faded, taking most of my power with them. I was pretty proud I had managed to summon the Divine Flame again, but if it left me this winded all the time, then I definitely needed more training. But, my job isn't over just yet. Winded and in pain (my back was probably bruised, and maybe I'd fractured a rib when I'd hit those columns!) I faced the hideous ritual circle on the floor. With a flick of the sword, my yellow flames cleared away the evidence but the stench of the yoma sacrificial ceremony remained. I had cleansing flames, but there are better purifiers in my family than me and they need work too. Like Ren. His golden flames were the strongest purifying force in the family. If at all possible I needed to get Ren here without alerting his big brother so that all evidence could be wiped away.

I started walking back to the front to find that pig guy and beat an explanation out of him when I heard slow applause. I turned everywhere but didn't see or sense anyone else in the area. Finally my eyes landed on the only artifact still in the room, a silver serving platter. In the reflective surface I saw a hideously familiar half concealed blonde's face and glowered at him, trying to use anger to conceal the terrible fear and hatred I felt at seeing him once again. "You..." I whispered, making the man sketch me an elegant bow.

"What do you want this time? Kazuma again, I'm assuming." I snapped, silently vowing to not let this horrible man anywhere near my bodyguard. When I said that, the building gave a sudden shudder and I became aware of a distant booming sound.

Bernhardt frowned and shook his head. "He is breaking the barrier I put around the museum so I could watch your talents unobstructed. Such a hasty boy." Bernhardt said, sighing dramatically. "But as much as I enjoy tormenting and using him, this time he is not my objective." He smiled that chilling smile at me. "You'll see what it is soon. Until then, keep getting stronger for me, little fire princess."

Snarling, I raised my sword and sent a strong fireball right at it, making the laughing Bernhardt vanish in a wreath of flame. The platter when back to being normal just as the front entry of the museum exploded inward and Kazuma stormed inside, head whipping around as he looked for me. I was touched by the obvious concern, but at the same time...

"Kazuma, you idiot! Why did you have to go blow the entire front of the dang building up? I finished this job without breaking anything and now you've gone and destroyed part of the building!" I wailed, allowing my anger and frustration, as well as my fear, about the reappearance of Bernhardt to rise so my fire spirits went crazy and caused flames to appear around me. Kazuma blinked at me and before he could look around and see the evidence of the ritual I sent the fire straight at him, using the time while he was distracted and dodging my attacks to send my purifying flames at the two circles remaining behind me to hide them as best I could from his extraordinary senses. That done, I walked right up to him and punched him in the arm.

"And how come you only show up after I beat the yoma, huh, Mr. Protector?"

"If you hadn't run off, then I wouldn't have had to blow the building up in the first place." Kazuma shot back, his own temper ruffling up in response to mine. When we are together, this is all we do, argue. Bicker and snarl. I sighed, the fire suddenly going out of me. It isn't like I want to be this way. Even if he has left the clan behind, Kazuma is still a part of my family - he is so important to Ren and Ren is important to me. And I respect him a lot as a spirit magic user. I want us to get along. But its impossible. I'm Ayano Kannagi and he hates me for that. I'm a brat compared to him and I'm not worth anything more than the money he can get from putting up with me.

"Hey, what's the matter?" Kazuma's voice snapped me back to reality. He was glancing around, forehead furrowed. If I didn't get him out of here soon then he would undoubtedly figure out what had gone on. His wind powers allowed him to see the hidden and to sense the faintest traces of energy. Even at my best I couldn't have hidden this from him for long, and now... I was worn out from using the crimson flame - since I still can't really control that power at all - so I wouldn't be able to handle if him if he flew into a rage this time. Shaking my head, I turned and tried to adopt my normal sassy voice.

"If Father gets the bill for this museum, I'm having him forward it to you. I didn't blow the place up so he shouldn't have to pay for it." My snap lacked most of it's usual power, but Kazuma didn't seem to recognize that and followed me out of the building. The fat man from earlier was on his knees in front of the ruined building, face pale and eyes wide. When I came out, he stared at me with his mouth gaping like a fish. I jabbed my thumb over my shoulder.

"I didn't do it; blame Kazuma Yagami, my ever present shadow. Your yoma problem has been handled... though..." I bit my lip. I didn't want to let on anything, but if I didn't ask, then I was afraid that things would go from bad to worse. "Who donated those articles to the museum, if I may ask?" The curator drew himself up, and after sending a poisonous glower Kazuma's way, spoke civilly to me. That almost made me feel better.

"They were all donated to us by a mysterious wealthy man from the west, I think he said Europe. He had excellent credentials. The artifacts came with complete records, and a staff member to take care of their transfer to the museum. A younger man with a very adorable son, if I remember correctly, though the little boy hardly spoke at all. They left to return home this morning." He said. I felt my stomach clench. I'd bet almost anything that man who'd been in charge of the exhibit had been one of the members of Bernhardt's little cult, and that the boy had been the sacrifice. What was he up to? The fat old man kept talking on, but I tuned him out. I really wanted to ask Kazuma. He's so much smarter than me, and he's the one who usually figures things out when we do complicated missions. But... I recalled how tightly he had held me after we'd stopped Belial from being summoned and defeated Lapis and Bernhardt a few months back. He'd been devastated then. And afterwards, when he'd sworn to protect me...

I'd seen the pain of that resolve in his eyes, the fear, hidden though he kept it, that he would fail to keep me and his brother safe the same way he failed Tsui-Ling. I couldn't bring this up to him now. I couldn't do that to him. Who could I ask for help, then? Father? He'd want to bring Kazuma in right away, especially since it seems that Bernhardt has a new target, which would defeat the purpose of keeping Kazuma out of this mess this time. Cousin Genma? No, he doesn't listen or talk well. He's a lot like Kazuma that way. Ren's too young, and all the other family members wouldn't be able to help. Kirika? No... that police woman really gets on my nerves with her bigger bust and prior knowledge of my bodyguard, and besides... she'd advise me to bring Kazuma in as well. There was no other choice, then. I'd have to figure this out on my own. I brushed my fiery hair back and pulled out my cellphone. If I was going to have to think, then there was no way I'd be able to do it at Nanase's house. I texted her an apology and asked for her to send me the copied notes later, that I was tired from yoma fighting and going home. After giving my condolences about the destruction of his museum to the curator, I said goodbye and looked hard at Kazuma.

"Don't follow me; I'm mad at you." I snapped. Then I turned and headed towards home. I needed a hot bath to figure this out.


	2. Chapter 2

Kazuma watched the scarlet haired woman slowly weaving through the crowds, his eyes glued to her back as he kept pace just far enough behind her so that the preoccupied woman didn't sense him. He knew something was the matter. Her steps lacked their authoritative stomp and her golden fire eyes did not spark at him when she said she was mad and didn't want him to follow her home. Based on their outburst before she had left to go fight the yoma on her own, he had expected her temper to be in full swing when he finally managed to break through the magic barrier and reach her. Instead, she had faked being mad at him and quickly ushered him out of the building. Which meant that whatever was bothering her was connected to the museum. He resolved to go back and investigate later, but first he wanted to see his princess home. He didn't know exactly when he had started thinking of her that way. If anyone asked - and by anyone he meant Ren or Jugo - Kazuma would empathically deny feeling anything for the Kannagi heir other than irritation and annoyance. And for that most part, that was true, though not in the way people assumed.

Sometimes he did get annoyed at Ayano for not using her head and rushing into things, getting herself injured. But mostly he was annoyed that she seemed to be immune to his charms and did not melt into his arms like most women did. He was annoyed that she wasn't afraid of him, and didn't respect him, annoyed that she challenged him and made him become human again, made him feel again. He was annoyed that he wanted her to awaken him more, until he fell into her embrace. Sometimes he got irritated when she pressed on old wounds, trying to help him by making him open up. But mostly he was irritated that he wanted to spill his secrets to her willingly. It irritated him that this girl who was so young was his main confidant, the one he trusted above all others. He was irritated that by talking to her, he would feel better and start to heal. The woman tied him up in knots and worst of all, she wasn't even aware that she was doing it. Her youth and naivety was the one thing saving him from total humiliation, since the girl didn't know how to use her power over him, giving him time to observe her and build his defences in case some day she did wake up. Thanks to his near constant observation, Kazuma Yagami knew Ayano Kannagi inside and out.

So when he had felt the almost somber edge to her energy, his senses had kicked into overdrive. He had already been uneasy, since powerful magical barriers that could make him pause did not appear out of no where, but Ayano's behavior coupled with his nightmares the last few weeks had made his discomfort and feeling of impending doom multiply. The princess had been quiet and appeared to be thinking, which sent shivers down his spine. When Ayano thought things usually were pretty bad, and she came up with extreme solutions, a recent example including jumping off a building in an attempt to get his attention and divert him from a task. Which had worked, but he didn't like that her answers usually involved placing herself in harms way. The girl thought she was indestructible. But she was fragile, human... irreplaceable should she ever be lost. Seeing her heaving a sigh that drew his attention - and a few male passers by's as well - to the soft chest she possessed, Kazuma frowned and slowed his pace a little as she did, dragging her feet instead of rushing. Something was truly wrong with his girl. She rarely if ever sighed or seemed pensive; her fiery nature just didn't allow for that type of behavior. Knowing that the Kannagi compound was just ahead, he stepped into a convenience store nearby and considered what to do. He had to investigate that museum before anyone could come in and mess up what evidence was left. But he didn't want to leave Ayano without a guard dog. She should be safe at the Kannagi compound, but... He pulled out his cell phone and made a quick call.

"Hey, Ren, I've got a favor to ask of ya." He said when he heard his little brother's voice on the other end of the line. Though he was loathed to admit it, the golden haired boy really had made him soften up a lot since his return to the city. Kazuma has always loved the squirt, though he would never, ever say it out loud. Luckily, Ren happened to be a lot more perceptive than his older flame haired cousin and was able to tell what Kazuma's feelings were without the man having to spell them out. So Ren happily went about his days secured in the truth that the two people he adored most in the world both loved him as well. "Alright, Kazuma, what is it?" Hearing Ren's sweet voice, Kazuma almost reconsidered, but he knew that only the boy could do the job. So he shoved a hand back through his hair and left the store, heading back towards the museum.

"Ayano should be getting back from her mission now. I need you to keep an eye on her and call me immediately if she does anything strange or unusual. Stick close to her, too. Try to prevent her from being alone. Can you do that?" He asked, knowing that if anyone could get away with hanging off Ayano, it would be Ren. His flame haired vixen treated the boy like he was her little brother, not his. Ren sent back a happy affirmative and hung up.

Kazuma kept walking and soon found himself outside the museum again. The place was closed, probably because he had blown the front portion apart in his frenzy to reach Ayano earlier. Which may have been caused by an overreaction based upon bad past experiences. Though he normally controlled his emotions tightly to the point that he seemed almost cold to those who didn't know him, he was originally a Kannagi. Loathed as he was to admit it, he was actually pretty similar to them in many ways, one of them being that his emotions were extreme and hard to control, lending to the extreme power the family wielded. When he'd left the family, he had started learning to manage his temper and his other emotions, and the control had only gotten stronger with the emergence of his wind magic powers.

However, a few things could set him off instantly. One of them, unfortunately for his sanity, was Ayano Kannagi. Shoving his hands into his pockets, Kazuma allowed the wind to lift him up and cloak his presence as he flew into the museum. Walking lightly through the halls of stone, he sent his wind spirits out to the back room Ayano had emerged from when he'd blown the front of the building in. Instantly he could sense the flaming remnants that always remained behind from a fire magic user's attacks. He was especially sensitive to Ayano's energy. She was just so alive that he could go to a place she had fought at two days after the battle and still sense her powers. Sometimes when his past demons were riding him hard, he would just go and sit in the middle of her battlefields so that he could feel surrounded by her, the only thing he had found which could calm him down. Smiling at the riotous explosion of powers Ayano had left behind, Kazuma started sweeping them aside to sense what was underneath.

He got a whiff of something very foul and rotten. Furrowing his brow, Kazuma slowly walked towards the back room as his spirits kept swirling around. As soon as he stepped into the room, he saw what Ayano had tried to hide from him. The remains of the summoning circle were as visible to him as they would have been to her earlier, despite her efforts to purify them. Though it wasn't her strong suit, Ayano should have been able to cleanse the remains of such a small circle. The physical evidence was gone but the darker unseen aspects remained, not what he would expect from her. The Kannagi heir didn't like to leave things half done. It wasn't in her personality. But he could also sense the kiss of her crimson flames still in the air, a power that drained her of all energy, so if he put the two puzzle pieces together it meant that... His princess had been fighting a rather powerful monster, strong enough that she'd had to use her trump card, and been left drain of all power after defeating it, to the point that she couldn't do a simple cleansing. Kazuma felt the winds stir around him in response to his anger, but he drew in a deep breath and tried to calm himself down, searching for more answers. In the background he could feel the loss of life, so it had been a sacrificial summons.

His jaw clenched. That was why Ayano had been acting strange. She knew of his past with sacrifices. She knew he wasn't exactly rational when involved with them. And so she had tried to protect him by keeping him in the dark. Though he wanted to, Kazuma couldn't really get angry with the girl. She was doing to him what he was doing to her. He didn't like it anymore than she did. The summoning circle and the faint remains of death and foulness in the air explained why she had been acting strange, and why she was tired. Kazuma had fought yoma brought forth from circles like this before and they were not the easy monsters that Ayano was used to fighting. That she had defeated it without his help made him want to beam in pride and at the same time lock her up in her room until she learned that she shouldn't face such dangers when he wasn't there to protect her. But it didn't explain her the pensiveness and the unease she exhibited; it didn't explain why Ayano was thinking. As he turned and surveyed the room some more, a silver serving platter caught his attention. It was burnt, like someone had taken a torch to it. The circular burn was the size of one of Ayano's flame balls. He knew, because he was usually on the receiving end of them. Logically speaking, that meant that the girl had sent one at the artifact. But why would she burn the platter? Kazuma went over and picked it up, turning the piece under the faint light, trying to make sense of her actions.

"Hmm..." He muttered, not sensing anything abnormal from the platter itself. He called up some wind spirits and tested, but the only response he got was from Ayano's fire spirits still clinging to the surface. Still, something about the platter unnerved him. He set it back down and looked around. He wasn't going to be able to tell anything from what was left. But he had the magical signature of the person who had done the summons, picked up by his wind spirits. Who donated those articles to the museum, if I may ask? Ayano's words earlier made him think he may find out more if he went looking. The curator had said that the person was already gone, but it wasn't much trouble for Kazuma to fly to another country and back. Still... something was wrong and he didn't want to leave Ayano right now. His instincts were telling him that would be a mistake. But he needed information. After thinking for a moment, a smirk stretched across his handsome face. When in doubt, recruit a pixie. Lifting up into the air again, Kazuma flew off to find the wind sprite that he needed.


	3. Chapter 3

Ren was acting strange. I rolled over and looked at him doing his homework at my desk, a seriously adorable look of concentration on his face. While we are close, close as siblings - since his had been taken away from him when he was very young - never before had Ren asked to do his homework with me. Fact of the matter is, the kid is probably a little smarter than me. I wasn't able to help him with any of his problems, despite my best efforts to do so. Yet here he was, in my room, swinging his feet and doing his homework at my desk while I tried to appear busy with mine on the bed. It isn't that I don't like hanging out with Ren, because I do. We've always gotten along well. But unlike his older brother, Ren was predictable and routine. He rarely did things spur of the moment. There are exceptions, like when he had met Ayumi, but they were few and far between. So seeing him sitting there made me suspicious, since normally this time of night he was either training with Cousin Genma or studying by himself in his own room.

"Ren..." I spoke softly, but the little boy heard me and looked up, beautiful green eyes bright. He used to get teased about his appearance a lot when he was younger. The little blonde didn't look like any of the other members of my family, so the branch houses sometimes picked on him. I'd done my best to protect him, but between my duties as Father's successor and school, I hadn't always been around. Cousin Genma had solved the problem by training Ren to fight and to use his magic. Now not only was Ren respected, but also seen as one of the strongest fire magic users in the main house right now. I let out a sigh. That's not important right now, Ayano...

"What's your stupid brother got you up to?" I asked, watching the guilty flush spread across his face, as well as surprise. I narrowed my eyes. "Hey, just because I'm dense doesn't mean I'm stupid. I can figure things out too, sometimes. So spill it, Goldie." I sat up and crossed my arms across my chest, leveling my best Kannagi look at him. Father has told me time and again that sometimes a look is all it takes to take control. I've been practicing, and while it doesn't work on Kazuma, Nanase, or Yukari, it does work on the branch family members and other school mates. And, apparently, Ren. The boy gulped and flicked his eyes away before sighing and looking back at me.

"Well, Kazuma just asked me to keep an eye on you. That's all." I blew out a breath. So, I hadn't fooled the wind mage completely. But, if he only stuck his little brother on me instead of staying with me himself, that meant he was still in the dark about the hows and whys of it... though... my eyes widened. Wait a moment. Kazuma isn't the type to wait patiently when he thinks something is iffy. He is totally going to go back to the museum to investigate. Once he figured out there was a summons involved, it wouldn't take him long to put things together, and once he did... Crap. Jumping up, I rushed to my closet and pulled out a light jacket, quickly sliding it on. I don't really get cold, but fashion is important, too. Ren watched me as I scurried about, grabbing my bag and my books. I shoved a few changes of clothes and my school uniform into the bag, then slung it over my shoulder.

"Ayano... what are you doing?" He asked, concern on his face. Rushing up to him, I grabbed his little shoulders and met his gaze.

"Okay, here's the deal. I'm keeping a big secret for Kazuma, and I don't want him to figure it out just yet. But your brother kinda cheats when it comes to figuring things out, so I've gotta vamoose before he comes to interrogate me. If he asks, I slipped out while you were asleep, got it?" I waited until Ren nodded before bolting out the door and heading for my father's rooms. I knew Ren would eventually call Kazuma and let him know I was leaving, so I had very little time in which to act. His loyalty to me would eventually get pushed aside by the love and admiration he had for Kazuma. When I reached Father's rooms, I skidded to a stop and knocked on the wooden frame.

"Come in." He called from inside. I slid the paper door open and stepped in. Seeing him outside the headroom was sometimes strange, but then again, some of my best memories of childhood are playing with Father in this room. Like the headroom, a gold and red fire design paper covered the walls. But unlike the head room, this one had actual decorations and personal touches. Father and Mother's wedding picture was framed and sat on his dresser. Mother's portrait sat at the altar in the corner of his room, where an incense stick burned always in her honor. Some old family swords hung on the walls, as well as five beautiful silk tapestries depicting the history of our clan. My favorite was the one in which the Spirit King of Flames, depicted as a fiery phoenix, came to the first head of the Kannagi family, and gifted him with fire and a Contract with her almost a thousand years ago. In that tapestry, she turned into a beautiful woman and became his wife as she gave him Enriha. According to a family legend, aside from being descendants of a Contractor, the reason the head family members were sometimes born being able to use powerful abilities like the god flame and the divine flames was because we are the direct descendants from the Spirit King of Flames herself. It meant we had a doubly gifted bloodline.

As a child, I used to spend hours staring at the silken mural, until Father pulled me away. He was sitting on his futon, reading some papers when I came in. Probably bills and payments for services rendered. Spiritual cleansing and yoma eradication are part of the main monetary gains in our family, but Father also heads and runs several businesses. I bowed and then hurried over to him. As usual, my frenzy didn't ruffle him at all. He never really did get that upset or emotional about things like I did, which is unusual in a fire magic user, especially a Kannagi. We are rather renowned for our emotional moods and fiery tempers. According to Cousin Genma, Father was used to dealing with insane levels of flightiness and extreme moods swings, and so was totally composed at all times. My mother, whom I don't remember, had apparently been just like me, swinging from one extreme to the other in the same second. When he'd told me that, I hadn't know whether to be happy or upset.

I waited for Father to set the papers aside before I jumped forward and grabbed the edge of his kimono. "I'm keeping a big secret from Kazuma, for his own good, and until I figure things out, I need to stay away from him, so I'm going to go spend a few days with some friends okay?" It all fell out of me in one big rush, but I knew Father heard and understood me. I didn't let my fear or anxiety show. If he picked up on that then I would never be able to leave, or keep the secret.

But my dad just looked at me for a moment, then took his silver glasses off and nodded at me, a considering gleam in his eyes. Everyone once in a while he got that look on his face, usually right before sending me and Kazuma, sometimes Ren, out on missions together to places like the Amusement Park and Hot Springs. Wonder why? Then he spoke.

"Alright, Ayano, but don't be a bother. And call me once a day until you come back." My heart soared at his words. Squealing, I threw both my arms around his neck and gave him a hug. I felt a little bad; he probably thought I was going to stay with Yukari or Nanase. But I couldn't do that. Too many people know where they live and could find me if - no,when, Kazuma figured this out. I pushed aside my guilt at lying.

"Thanks, Father. See ya!" I waved at him before turning and running out of the house. I only paused long enough to put my shoes on. This was risky. Kazuma could be tracking me from above right this very moment, but I was hoping he'd be so distracted by the museum mystery that he wouldn't come back quickly. And I was hoping Ren wouldn't call him right away. I knew that if I did get away that Kazuma would go to Father and tell him about the museum fight, what he had figured out about it anyway. And so Father would probably want me to come back right away, might even send Kazuma to pick me up. Which meant I couldn't go to Nanase or Yukari's house. Too predictable, plus Kazuma knew their locations. I would need to go somewhere no one would think to look for me. Pulling my phone out, I punched in a number I never thought I would willingly call.

"Detective Tachibana? It's Ayano. I need your help."

"Well, this is certainly unusual. How can I help you, Ayano? You haven't beaten up any more sexual predators, have you?" I heard the blond's pleasant voice on the other end of the line and gritted my teeth at the jab. Control, Ayano...I really do get jealous of her easily, but ever since the Pandemonium incident I was slowly starting to get over it. Very slowly. She was still too grown up and mature for me to deal with easily. Next to her, I felt like such a child. She was able to handle Kazuma's out of control charisma without blushing like I do. He trusted her and never complained about her like he did me. And, to make matters worse, she knew him better than me, having worked with him for a few years before his return to Japan. But, still, I think I am closer to him than she is. Because unlike her, I'm not afraid of him.

"I'm in a bit of a pickle so I was wondering... can you put me up for a few days without letting a certain wind mage know?" I asked as I rushed down the street, looking for a busy place to get lost in. I had found through trial and error that it slows Kazuma down when I go into crowded places and leash my spirits so that he can't track me by following the trail of fire I normally leave in my wake. Though, he can still find me if he searches hard enough. It's like the guy has my scent and is the worlds best bloodhound. Kirika was silent, so I rushed on.

"I'm... he can't find me before I finish thinking and I promise it isn't anything dangerous, I just need to vanish for a few days." If Detective Tachibana didn't help me, then my last resort would be so painful for me that it might almost be worth it to go back home and face the fire. Or, face the wind. Finally, the woman sighed. "It goes against my better judgment, but if you promise to be careful and let me know what is going on at some point, then I'll help." She said. I resisted the urge to let out a celebratory whoop.

"Tell me where you are; I'll come pick you up and put you in one of the safe houses that the department keeps empty for special cases." I thanked her and told her where I was at, then settled down on a bench to wait. Now that my mini-plan was falling together, I was floundering. What would I do next? I need information, but all my usual avenues of getting it would be shut off for the risk of getting Kazuma involved. Not to mention I had almost no information to go on anyway. Just what the freak of nature Bernhardt had said... I frowned.

If he wasn't after Kazuma, then who was his target this time? Why would he want to watch me fight? When we stopped him at Pandemonium, he said he had underestimated the power of the Kannagi, so... maybe he was observing the strength we have? That seems logical. We are one of the strongest magic clans in the world. If he wants to know more, though, why me? I wouldn't be useful at all if he wanted to go after Kazuma again. Ren would be a better choice. I looked up at the sky. Of course, I go on missions way more often than Ren does. If seeing the strength of the family was his goal, then it would be easiest to observe me.

"Urgh, I hate all this thinking." I muttered, laying a hand over my eyes. My brain was gonna explode. Not only did I have to figure this mystery out, but I also had to study for exams. Wait... school... if Kazuma couldn't find me, he would wait to ambush me at school. How was I going to get around that? "Exams are all we are focusing on right now, so if I have Father pull some strings, I should be able to take them at a different location..." I muttered. Father had done it for me once before, when I had been much younger. One of the rival fire magic clans in Japan had targeted me since I was the heir of the family, thinking that destroying me would weaken everyone. In order to keep me safe, Father had pulled me out of school until the situation was handled, though I had done the homework and turned things in like normal, through an intermediary. I'd have to ask him.

A horn honked, making me twitch a little as I looked up. Detective Tachibana leaned out of the black car she drove and smiled at me. "Hey, Ayano, get in." I jumped up, grabbed my bag, and hurried over, sliding into the passenger's seat and closing the door. "So... why do you need to get away from Kazuma?" She asked as she pulled into traffic. I stifled a sigh. Should've known... How much could I reveal? Not about Bernhardt, that's for certain. But I'd have to give her something or else she wouldn't help me.

"Today when I was on a mission, I kind of blew up at Kazuma. He's looked so pained around me recently, and he is starting to stifle me." It's all true, so I'm technically not lying. "He wraps me in a wind barrier when I fight yoma, like I'm not trustworthy enough to be allowed to do even that. But it's my job! I'm the Kannagi Heir and I can't not slay yoma! And...He's even stopped coming to the compound to visit with Ren, probably because I'm there. I told him if he hates being around me so much, if my mere presence is causing him pain, then leave. He... didn't deny that I was the source of his current pain. So I've decided to remove myself until he figures his issues out. I just don't want to be a source of pain to him, or cause him to pull back from Ren. I mean, he just got his brother back. I can't destroy that just because me and Kazuma can't get along." Detective Tachibana sighed and leaned on an elbow as we got caught in some heavy traffic at a light.

"Ayano... I don't think leaving Kazuma will fix this issue, but it is time for you and him to get the emotional laundry out in the air. I'm just glad you're ready to face it, now, too. Who knows, maybe this will make him open up. I'll keep you hidden from him for three days, but after that, I'm telling him where you are so you'd best be ready to face him by then." She said. I wasn't certain what she was saying exactly, but she was agreeing to help me, so it's perfect.

"Thanks." We drove for awhile, me staring out the window and trying to think while Detective Tachibana made calls to set this up, until we came to a run down apartment complex on the edges of town. I looked at her, a little confused. The blonde woman just smiled.

"This is a safe house. You'll be supplied all your food and basic needs without having to leave the premise, and so as long as you keep your fire spirits under control, you should be able to hide from Kazuma. For one thing, there is a barrier by yours truly around this place to help hide it from magical searches, though we both know that won't stop Kazuma if he gets serious. However, a few more factors do play into your safety here. This is far away from all the areas you normally go to, as well as far outside the places you could reach on the train or using the bus, with the student pass that you have. Unless he searches the entire city block by block he won't find you." She said, unlocking the door. She'd put a lot of thought into this. I'm impressed.

I got out and she handed me a key. "Apartment 203, second floor corner unit. It's fully stocked, but I will have someone drop off some food. I'll call you later, okay?" I nodded and clutched the key to my chest. She flashed me a smile and drove off. I watched her go until I couldn't see her car anymore, then slowly walked towards the apartment and up the rickety stairs to the second floor. The apartment, when I opened the door, was a lot nicer on the inside than the outer appearance lead me to believe. It was fully modernized, had a small bathroom and bedroom separated from the living room and kitchen combo main room. Everything looked clean and the place was also pretty secure. The door and the windows out to the small balcony both had three sets of locks. I smiled and set my bag down, walking to the center of the room. The quiet of the room was almost too much, but I also kind of liked it. At the Kannagi house, there's always noise. People practicing, people tending the grounds, people needing to talk to Father... it's rarely, if ever, quiet. But here... the sounds of crickets and the wind were all I could really hear. I wasn't used to it, but I liked it.

I pulled the blankets and pillows for the futon out of the closet and laid them out to get some fresh air before I sat on the floor and stared up at the single light hanging above me in the living room. Now what? For a long moment, nothing came to mind, but then I had a thought. The curator had said that the collection came from somewhere in the west, like Europe. It should be online, right? I dragged my bag over and dug out my laptop, flipping it open and getting ready to hit the power button. Before I could though, the wind suddenly started to howl and whip with an almost unnatural fury. Glancing out the window, I saw the clouds swirling above the distant city, the worst of it located around where the house was, if my bearings were correct. I guess Kazuma had finally figured out I was gone. I pulled the blankets and futon back in, then locked the window and drew the curtains. As a precaution, I also turned off my cell phone. Now then... time to do some research.

Booting up my laptop, I got online and went to work. After hours of trying every possible avenue of information I could think of - including Wikipedia - I let out a frustrated scream and fell onto my back, staring up at the ceiling as I gnawed on my lip. Now what? I really do suck at this whole thinking and planning thing. Sighing, I summoned a little ball of fire to my hand and started playing with it, tossing it up and down in my palm as I tried to figure something out. There wasn't much to go on. The collection wasn't mentioned online anywhere, and I checked so many museum websites that I think I could provide a guided tour of them. Since that angle hadn't panned out, I'd decided to switch my focus to the guy behind it all. But Bernhardt was smarter than me, and as the head of Armagest magic alliance, I couldn't really do a google search to find out what nasty things he's been up to, as the past few hours have managed to make perfectly clear to me. I'm also not really capable of planning. A thought popped up in my mind and I sat up, clenching my fist around the fireball and extinguishing it. But one thing I do have that Detective Tachibana and stupid Kazuma both lack is a very useful name.

Magic users all over the world set up group forums to share information, in order to help in the elimination of Yoma, and to allow for clans to legitimately challenge one another. As a Kannagi, I have access to all these forums. As the next head of the family, I also have a privileged set of people I can ask for assistance; that is, the other future family heads. In this internet driven age, all of us next generation heads have more or less bonded. Though I wasn't often on these sites for various reasons - that is, I don't really have the patience for them - when father made me get on and chat for awhile, I always ended up learning a lot. Many magic using clans around the world are in awe of the family. We are the longest lasting and most powerful clan of magic users to exist, not to mention one that has continually churned out extraordinarily powerful fire magic users. Ren with his Golden Flame, Father with his Purple Flame, Cousin Genma and the Blue Flame, and me with my Crimson are just the most recent. In the past, there are legends of one of the founder's children being able to summon all the flames. Shaking my head, I tried to focus.

I got onto the private chat room for the future family heads, called MagiChat, and logged in. After only a few moments, the hits started coming.

WaterLily87: Hey, it's been awhile since you've made an appearance. Not that I'm surprised. It's been the talk of all the magic forums, what your family stopped. Belial, of all monsters! You guys are really something.

CrimsonKannagi: Thanks. It wasn't easy, but we did stop Pandemonium. I'm just sad we couldn't save those kids who were the Seeds.

WaterLily87: It's sad, but you saved a good number of them. And stopped an entire city from being wiped out. Think positive.

TerraTorture: Don't sugar coat it; yeah, the Kannagi family did something amazing, but, as usual, there was a lot of collateral damage. It's a good thing your family is loaded, Crimson, otherwise you guys would have been destroyed a long time ago by others.

WaterLily87: Oh look, the Earth Slob showed up. TerraTorture: Shut up, Water Sprite. You guys have the weakest magic, so you shouldn't pick fights with me or try to suck up to Crimson. Even though that family is dangerous, no one can deny that they're strong. Especially the head family.

WaterLily87: Oh yeah, Dirt Clod? You ever fight a Water Magic User? I don't think you have. Because do you know what happens to those who do? They end up in hospitals, because the human body is 70% water, you dope. I can literally drain you dry.

CrimsonKannagi: Hey, guys?

TerraTorture: Only a Contracted water magic user can do that, and right now the only Contactor around in the Black Wind Mage, the Grim Reaper, and as we all know, he's hanging with Crimson in Japan. The best you could do is give me some dry skin.

WaterLily87: I really despise you, Terra! I know water magic users are supposed to hate fire magic users, but you earth people just rub me the absolute wrong way.

TerraTorture: Yeah? Well, the hatred is mutual. You guys are so weak. Crimson has defeated a whole clan of earth magic users and their demonic pet turtle, so I give the flame user my respect, grudging as it is. You, Sprinkler? Not a chance.

CrimsonKannagi: GUYS! Stop it already. You can fight later. I didn't get on here to play around. I had a job earlier today that makes me think that the people who tried to destroy my city are up to something again, those Moon and Stars cultist people. What have you guys heard?

TerraTorture: Now that you mention it, I have heard there has been an increase in the number of demon sacrifices made, each one summoning a larger and larger Yoma. In every case, there is always a feeling of death and rot at the scene, and the earth is screaming. Oh, and a mirror or something reflective is always left behind.

WaterLily87: That's what I've been experiencing too, in the States. The McDonald Family has been struggling to keep up with the eradications. My family has been doing so many purifications that my grandmother is starting to think something big and dark is building, corrupting the physical world from the yoma one. She said that in the Lillian Family History, this happened once before, almost five hundred years ago. Apparently at that time, the Kannagi Family became stronger and drove the shadow away. Do you know what it is, Crimson?

I stared at the screen for a moment, thinking hard. My family had almost a thousand years of history. I know a lot of it, but not all the details. That's not really my job. Cousin Akira was the one who kept the family knowledge alive, and was in charge of teaching all Kannagi's the basics... Why do I have to suck so much at thinking and remembering details?

CrimsonKannagi: Wah, sorry! Keeping track of all the family legends isn't my strong point. I go kill yoma and stuff; my cousin keeps the histories. But it probably doesn't matter anyway. If the sacrificial summonings are happening more and more around the world, then those cultists have got to be up to something again, and that isn't a Kannagi only problem. Anything else you can tell me?

WaterLily87: Only that there are increasing numbers of sightings of that woman you told us to be on the look out for. The women with brown hair and creepy dead green eyes, carrying a big sword while dressed like a lolita.

TerraTorture: I saw her, walking beside one of the summoned Yoma. She's dangerous, Crimson.

CrimsonKannagi: I know; I've fought her, and her master. She serves the one who summoned Belial. You guys be careful, alright? I've got an idea I need to check into. WaterLily87: Alright, Crimson. Stay safe, and best of luck to you.

TerraTorture: Yeah, same. And remember, my clan lives in India, so you need any help I can be in Japan faster than Water Sprite over there. We will give the Kannagi our assistance.

WaterLily87: Oh, riiiiiight, Terra. You didn't ever offer to help before the Belial incident, but once you see from the shots of the event that Crimson is a hot babe, you suddenly get the itch to dash off to her rescue? She's stronger than you, buster! She will BURN YOU!

TerraTorture: What? That... gender or appearance has nothing to do with it! WaterLily87: You're lying through your teeth, Dust Boy.

CrimsonKannagi Signed out of MagiChat.

I pushed my laptop away and sighed, staring blankly at the wall. Well, that was somewhat helpful, but only confirmed what I already knew. Bernhardt was indeed up to something big. The other magic clans from around the world could feel it. But what did it have to do with my family? Why Tokyo, why the Kannagi's? What did we have that no one else did? Enriha? It wasn't the only spirit weapon out there. TerraTorture's family were the world leaders in earth magic, and he had in his possession the spirit weapon of earth, a magical virge that could cause earthquakes if not handled properly. The mace weapon was said to be too heavy for anyone but the heir to wield, just like Enriha would burn anyone other than me. So we weren't unique in that aspect. Nor were we the only powerful fire magic users. Catherine McDonald, much as I am loath to admit it, is a powerful magic user in her own right. So what do we, the Kannagi Family, have that makes us so interesting and necessary to Bernhardt? A knock on the door broke into my reverie. I sighed and stood. Detective Tachibana did say that my food would be delivered, and I was getting hungry. I walked in stockinged feet over to the door, and opened it without looking through the peep hole.

"Hey, is it time -" My voice died out as I beheld what was standing outside. A huge hulking yoma, bigger than the one I had fought at the museum, with fire-licked eyes and an almost human shadowy form loomed over me. It spread wings blacker the night, blocking out the street from my view, and then I felt the air squeezing out of my lungs, a chill I had never felt before in my entire life climbing up my spine. Panic clawed at my throat, but I pushed it down and stroked my inner flame desperately, trying to awaken my magic enough so I could fight free and summon Enriha. Weakly, a little fire sparked at my fingers, not even enough to destroy a weak yoma. But, it seemed to distract the thing grabbing me, because it looked down and my lungs could suddenly draw in breath. I gasped for air and raised my hand, calling forth Enriha. I was wrapped from thigh to neck in inky blackness so think that it should have been heavy, but it was actually more like a feeling of absence. And cold, something I never should feel.

First thing first, though. I swung the weakly glowing sword at the beast and felt gratified when it jumped back, the dark strings connecting me to it fraying easily and dropping away. I looked down at my arm and felt sick. My clothing had been eaten away in the places where the blackness had covered me, leaving me in the thin shift and camisole I always wore under my outfits. Even worse, my skin was covered in some sort of black darkness that swirled with evil purple and green hues as it slowly crawled over my skin. My energy felt like it was rapidly being drained. I hadn't recovered from the fight with the tentacle dog earlier today, yet, either, and now this monster. How had it even found me?

"Stop it, Ayano." I whispered to myself, shaking my head slowly and facing the yoma as it waiting in front of me. "Defeat this monster." Get angry, Ayano... picture Kazuma kissing Catherine! The visual came a little too easily to my mind, and sent a burst of heat through my boy that made the flickering yellow fire on Enriha steady into its usual blaze.

"Alright! Heeeeyuuuu!" I shouted, jumping forward to attack. Up until the thing wrapped it's dark arms around me, I actually thought I had a chance of winning. Enriha fell from my fingers, clattering to the ground, but not vanishing into fire as it normally would, which meant... My vision was getting blurry as the yoma beast held me, spreading it's wings and slowly rising up into the air. I squinted and focused on Enriha. I couldn't just leave the sacred sword there... Weakly lifting my hand, I pointed at the weapon and saw my crimson fire ripple around the blade, vanishing with the sword. My arm fell limply as the last of my power fled, and I tumbled into a darkness so cold and complete that it felt like whatever made me Ayano was getting sucked out of me.

-Hey! Thanks for reading so far. I hate to stop on a cliffhanger, but I haven't had time to finish the next part, so... I'll try to get the rest written and up as soon as I can. Kazuma is up next. Will he be able to save Ayano? (Also, still having formatting issues, so let me know if things are getting garbled.


	4. Chapter 4

"Armagest?! You're certain they donated the collection to the museum?" Kazuma glowered at the small wind pixie in his hands. She nodded and tried to pry his fingers off her small body.

"Yes! The Pixie King likes museums so we go there a lot, and he heard where the collection came from. So I don't have to go to Europe for you." She said, managing to slip free of his grasp to hover in the air before him. Kazuma ignored the blue sprite and frowned. If Armagest was involved then... Bernhardt. His gut churned with such deep anger that he often terrified himself with the depth of his hatred for one man. She must have somehow figured out that Bernhardt was involved, and wanted to keep him out of it to spare him pain. Stupid Ayano... Well, she was at home, so while she was there, she would be safe, and hopefully out of trouble.

The chirping of his phone made Kazuma blink. Pulling it out, he lifted an eyebrow when he saw his brother's number on the screen. "Hey, Ren, what's up?" He asked, waving the pixie off and gliding along the clouds. He would need to reevaluate the scene at the Museum, see if he could get a trace on Bernhardt's magic...

"Ayano... Ayano left, Kazuma. She went to Jugo and got his permission to go stay with a friend. I was gonna call you earlier but she asked me not to so I... sorry." At his little brother's words, Kazuma froze.

Ayano was out of the house, where the two strongest fire magic users in the world were around to keep the stupid little firebrand safe, the only people other than himself he trusted to keep her safe. She was strong, he knew that. Heck, the girl could use the crimson flames at an age unheard of by anyone; not even his father had been able to summon his God Flames until he was in his late twenties, and Ayano, in her teens, was summoning the magical fire almost equal to the blue flames. Not to mention the girl was tenacious and a damn good fighter - as long as she kept a tight hold on her temper. Kazuma sighed heavily into the phone. No chance of that. He had hoped her father would be able to watch over her while he was gone, because his princess could never keep a cool head.

Ignoring Ren for now, he tried to focus his mind. The evidence he had so far was circumstantial at best, so there was no solid proof that Ayano was, as yet, in any danger. She was a rather dense girl sometimes, so he seriously doubted that she had figured out anything dangerous beyond the fact that Bernhardt was back... wait. Bernhardt. Kazuma's brain kicked into overdrive as the puzzle began to take shape.

Bernhardt was connected to the artifacts sent to the museum, which had some sort of business ties to the Kannagi Family... Therefore, if anything went weird, then the curator was certain to ask for an exorcism from the famous spirit magic user family he was associated with. It clicked. Bernhardt was not after him at all this time... he was after a Kannagi. Not just any Kannagi either. The man had seemed unduly interested in both his little brother and his woman after they all stopped Belial, claiming that he was intrigued by the power of the clan. But Ren was young, still growing, so the one who would interest him the most would be...Ayano. The Kannagi woman who had apparently just wandered out of the safety of her home into incredible danger.

The clouds around Kazuma started to swirl around him as his anger, and terrible fear, whipped the spirits of wind into a frenzy. The hand on his phone tightened. "That idiot! Ren, go give the phone to Jugo, now!" He snapped, turning towards the city. He'd had to fly pretty far outside of Tokyo to find the wind pixie. On the wishes of the Pixie King, the little sprites were apparently on vacation. He put on a burst of speed and headed back as quickly as he could. Which was actually pretty fast.

There was a fumble on the other end of the line and then Kazuma heard Jugo Kannagi's deep voice, calm as always. "Kazuma, what is the matter? Ren is white as a sheet."

"Listen, whatever the little princess told you, forget it. The mission she worked today was connected to Bernhardt Rhodes, and she's decided to keep me out of it and try to take care of it herself, which is stupid reckless enough. But the idiot doesn't realize that the target this time is her! Where's she at?" Kazuma fought to keep his voice level. Jugo was a good man and a wonderful leader, somehow able to not fall victim to the incredible pride and heated temper the rest of the family had issues with, including Kazuma himself, so he shouldn't take out his anger and fear on him.

Jugo was silent for a long moment, then sighed. "And when she said she was keeping a secret I thought it meant that she was getting ready to seduce you." The man muttered, making Kazuma shake his head.

The current Kannagi head had made no secret of the fact that he wanted Kazuma to rejoin the family through marrying Ayano, and has even gone out of his way to try to set the two of them up together, though the only one who remained unaware of this was his daughter. Ayano was many good things, but no one would say she was extraordinarily quick on the uptake, especially in areas concerning her family or own personal well being.

Sometimes it amused him, but mostly it just ticked him off. It seemed to Kazuma that Jugo was trying to use his daughter to gain a powerful advantage in the family. Manipulations of any sort usually rubbed him the wrong way, but especially those among family. That was probably a relic of his unhappy personal past with familial bullies. Jugo had never treated him badly when he was still a part of the Kannagi family, but at that time, the head at been suffering from the accident which had claimed his wife and almost crippled him, so Kazuma honestly hadn't seen him all that much. However, it appeared to Kazuma that Jugo had no issues with using his mind to be almost as insidious a bully as those who'd burned him had been.

If he could so easily send off his innocent and naive daughter into compromising situations with him, what would stop Jugo from maybe deciding another guy would suit him better and trying to set Ayano up with someone else? The only reason Kazuma went along with Jugo's plans was because he knew he could resist Ayano and not take advantage of her; some other guy would, which was something he couldn't allow. Besides that, he was going to have the fire princess one day; he'd decided that shortly after meeting her again and seeing the woman she was becoming. So he went along with Jugo's matchmaking schemes to both protect Ayano and to get to spend some time with her, record images of her in his mind that he could make use of later. Kazuma wondered what the old man would do if he knew that Kazuma had always used his precious princess as "material" for nighttime activities before? The old man clearing his throat brought Kazuma's mind back from the perverted pastime.

"She said she was going to stay with a friend, so head towards the district where Nanase and Yukari live. I'll give Ayano a call and find out which, then get back to you. I highly doubt that Bernhardt will try anything right now, but I feel it would be best to get her back to the compound as soon as possible." Jugo handed the phone back to Ren and Kazuma was startled to hear his little brother crying. He groaned.

"Ah, now, Ren, please don't do that. You know I can't stand it when you cry." He pleaded, the soft sniffling sounds not helping with his already frayed control over his emotions. The two people living who could disrupt him the most were Ren and Ayano. It was interesting, though, to know that his two biggest weaknesses were also his two greatest strengths.

"Sorry, Kazuma, but I'm worried about Ayano. You know how reckless she can be sometimes." Yeah, that's exactly what he was worried about. The Kannagi heir had a problem realizing exactly how very mortal she was, and he didn't want her or anyone else to find out the hard way.

"I know. See ya, squirt." Kazuma hung up on Ren and flew fast as he could. Soon the wind mage was over the city once more. Remembering the address of Nanase's house from the time he reverted back to his black wind self, he quickly changed directions and flew there. Landing on a secluded side street, Kazuma lifted his invisibility and hurried to the door.

After a loud knock, the athletic dark haired girl opened the door. She seemed startled to see him there, but recovered quickly. "You're... Ayano's cousin, Kazuma, right. What are you doing here? Is everything alright?" She asked, concern rising in her voice.

Because of his powers, Kazuma has gotten incredibly skilled at reading the voices of people around him. He can tell, unless someone is extremely good at acting, when a person is being truthful. Nanase sounded truly concerned. Ayano had a good friend, but...

"Is Ayano here, or at Yukari's house?" He cut to the chase right away. He didn't have the luxury of time to waste. Each moment longer Ayano was away from home was another moment giving Bernhardt a chance. Kazuma disagreed with Jugo; he thought as soon as that bastard saw a chance, he was going to take it. And Ayano had stupidly given it to him.

The girl in front of him looked confused. "Ayano? When we were at Yukari's, she texted saying she was tired and going straight home. We haven't heard from her since."

Kazuma growled and bit away a curse. For all the times for Ayano to start thinking, now had to be the absolute worst. Not bothering to say anymore to Nanase, he took to the sky once again and flew towards the Kannagi Compound. On his way there, he flew a grid around the area close to Ayano's home, searching for her energy. The longer he went without finding her, the more concerned he grew, causing the air around him to rumble and boil in response to his feelings. He kept it centralized near the Princess's home, causing a funnel of clouds to appear over it.

His search took him a good two hours to complete, even with him keeping it in the areas he knew she could reach easily. By the time Kazuma landed at the Kannagi Compound, the sky overhead was a whirling mass of clouds and wind which reflected his mood. Ayano would be able to see it, he was certain. She would know he was looking for her. As he walked through the entry of the compound, he grinned. 'Princess, when I get my hands on you...' Punishment.

Steps significantly lightened by the thought, Kazuma hurried through the maze of buildings. He could sense the girl's fiery energy all over the place, so trying to locate her most recent trail would take time and effort, but he'd do it. He wasn't going to let her silly inability to use her head take his woman away. But first...

Ignoring the looks being directed at him by the branch family members walking around, he headed for the meeting room. As he approached, he felt two extremely powerful energies waiting inside, alongside a familiar gentle strength. Like the day couldn't get any worse... shoving his hands into his pockets, Kazuma used his power to slam the door open and step inside.

"Hey. Princess isn't at her either of her friend's houses, or anywhere nearby." He announced. Ren, the owner of the gentle energy signature he'd sensed, jumped up and ran to him, wrapping his thin arms around Kazuma's waist. The wind mage frowned. "Ren... what' wrong?" He asked, noticing the tears tracking down his baby brother's face.

"This." The gruff voice caused every protective instinct inside Kazuma to rise, but he turned with his brother in his arms and faced the owner, his father Genma. As usual, a snarky remark rose within him, but it died on his lips when he took in the scene he'd not noticed when he had first arrived.

Jugo was silently staring at the wooden sword sitting on his lap, hair falling in front of his face so Kazuma couldn't read his expression. Genma sat next to his cousin, a hand on the man's shoulder. For once, he looked like the old man Kazuma had always joked at them being. His face was drawn and haggard. "As you know, Enraiha can only be handled by it's master, and there is always only one at a time. Before Ayano inherited it, Jugo was the rightful wielder." Genma's voice was thicker than usual, and the brothers could both feel the emotions he was barely holding back through his unconquerable will.

"Why... why does Jugo have it?" Kazuma finally asked. "It should always be with Ayano. When not in use, Enraiha resides inside the flame of the wielder, within them. Why does Jugo have it?" Ren sniffed and buried his face in his older brother's jacket.

Genma opened his mouth, but Jugo lifted his head and cut the man off. The Kannagi head looked horrible. His face was pale, terribly so, lacking the warmth that tended to light his face up from within. The lines on his face were deeper. He appeared to have aged ten years in a matter of moments.

"The legends of Kannagi state that if ever the wielder of Enraiha is in danger and the sacred sword's safety compromised, it can be sent to another who had the power to control it. But only the one who wields the blade can do so." Jugo's voice was almost raw with emotion. "Therefore, we can assume that..." He broke off, unable to continue.

"Ayano was in a situation in which she felt she could no longer guarantee the safety of the Kannagi family's sacred sword." Kazuma finished for the older man, hands clenched at his sides. "She puts her honor as a Kannagi before her own safety, after all, so it isn't that far fetched to think that... Dammit!" He tightened his hold on Ren as the boy sniffed again.

Jugo took a deep breath and lifted his head. "I put in a call to Detective Tachibana as soon as Enraiha appeared. Since Ayano called her while she left, I thought, maybe... Turns out Ayano asked Detective Tachibana to hide her. I have the last known location were Ayano was. Kazuma... we will need your tracking abilities."

Setting his little brother away from himself, Kazuma nodded, eyes flickering dangerously. Only those who knew him well could tell what emotional turmoil he was in. Jugo stood, Enraiha held in his hands, and looked at his cousin. "Genma, I will ask that you stay here. I will go with Kazuma." Everyone looked aghast at the Kannagi Head's announcement, but he held up a hand. "It is my duty as the current head of the family to investigate the situation which caused Enraiha to be forced from its wielder...and also my duty as Ayano's father to go after her."

Ren tugged on Kazuma's sleeve. "But... I thought that he couldn't fight anymore." The blonde child whispered. Kazuma didn't take his eyes from the older man, but answered his brother.

"It's not that he can't fight, Ren. Out of all of us here, Jugo is probably the most powerful. Even with my powers, unless I evoked the Contract, I would stand no chance against him. Even then I don't know. The reason Jugo stays here in the compound is because he can't move easily. His back was shattered in that accident, so he can't use a sword or dodge. However, his powers are such that he truly doesn't need to." Kazuma remembered watching Jugo train with his father once when he was very young.

It had happened a few days before the accident which stole Ayano's mother. In his continual effort to make his son better, Genma had asked his cousin to allow the boy to observe their training. At first, Jugo had been reluctant, but eventually, he'd agreed. Both wanted all the Kannagi's of the head family to grow stronger, after all, so it made sense to have him observe them. Kazuma had watched, with his eyes wide, as his father was unable to get any blows in on Jugo. The Kannagi head never moved from his spot in the center of the room. He just stood with his eyes closed and waited, then whenever Genma tried to attack, countered with a lash of violet colored flames that manifested from nowhere and left for marks behind. When Genma had been reduced to a panting, gasping mess, Jugo had finally moved. The man seemed to teleport, he was so fast, going from the center of the hall to behind Kazuma's father in a blink, then lightly tapping the other man on the neck with a finger bathed in violet light, causing Genma to fall to the ground, unable to move.

Genma had later told his son that Jugo wasn't even fighting at full capacity then. No one really knew how strong the man was, except for maybe Ayano, since she has trained with her father, in flame magic at least, since her infancy.

"If he is coming with us, then he must really think this is bad." Kazuma muttered. Jugo wasn't an illogical man, nor was he one to make brash decisions. Even though he'd known the dangers, he'd still sent his daughter to deal with the Pandemonium incident instead of going himself, because he knew that she had the capacity to handle it. So for him to now be going out with them... "Jugo. Do you know more than you're telling?" Kazuma's challenge had Ren looking scandalized, but the wind mage didn't take his eyes off the Kannagi Head.

Jugo spoke without looking at him. "If the time comes for me to reveal what I know, I will, but until then, I plan to act on the idea that Ayano is still alive. To keep her that way, I suggest we get moving." The flame spirit user walked out of the room without another word being spoken. Kazuma patted Ren on the head and after nodding to his father, followed.

Out in the compound parking lot, Jugo was getting into a nondescript black car. Kazuma slid into the drivers seat. "I'll find Ayano, and she'll be alright." He said as the engine roared to life. Jugo handed him the location Kirika had sent over without speaking, worry pressing against Kazuma's senses.

He's never admit it, but Kazuma was worried sick, too. Ayano wasn't a person to just give up, to accept defeat. She was the kind of woman to ignore things like odds and keep going when anyone sane would have surrendered. And yet, the Enraiha lay in her father's lap, proof that she had stopped fighting. For his fiery woman to give up... Kazuma shuddered to think what she could have faced to make her do such a thing. Whatever it was, he found to find and destroy it so dead that not even it's memory would be left.

Pulling out into the main highway, Kazuma floored it and sent the car shooting off into the dusk falling around them, sending a prayer to the Spirit King of Wind to please, please watch over Ayano. 'If you hold any affection for me, Spirit King, then please... don't let anything happen to Ayano. That is one blow I know I wouldn't survive.'

- Ayanooooo, where are you!? What's going on? What does Jugo know? Gah, it's too much! Someone, save Ayano!


	5. Chapter 5

It was the feeling of being cold which roused me. As a Kannagi, I'm not supposed to ever feel the chill. We carry a sacred flame inside our very being, which in turn allows us to generate flames and heat. Moaning, I tried to curl my body tighter, but was only able to move so far before a clanging tug stopped my legs and arms. What the...?

Forcing my eyes open, the first thing I saw was a stark white wall. Just walls, no windows or artwork, not even a little splash of color to liven it up. It was a bare expanse of unblemished white. Lifting my head, I looked down at myself. I was laying on a makeshift bed, a table with a few blankets thrown on it. Around my ankles and one wrist were manacles, the chains stretching to the legs of the table I was currently on top of.

'What in the world...?' I yanked at the chains again, testing them, but with a minimal amount of wiggling they didn't budge. I was held fast. Okay, so maybe running away from Kazuma and getting the flame knocked out of me by a yoma weren't my most shining moments, but I'm still alive, and Ayano Kannagi will never take a challenge sitting down! I spat my hair out of my my and scowled at my feet. Or, laying down, as the case currently was. Plus, I'd sent Enraiha back to Father, so the alarm was sounded, thought it stung my pride that I'd had to do that.

When I had inherited Enraiha during the ceremony when I was little, Father had taken me aside afterwards to explain a few things to me. "Listen well, Ayano. Enraiha is a special blade, especially for you. You must protect it at all costs for the Kannagi family to survive. But if ever there comes a time when you feel like the sacred blade is in danger, you can send it away for protection, but only do so when you know there is no other choice. It's dangerous for you to cut the sacred power from your flame like that." His words whispered through my mind. What had he meant by dangerous, anyway? I wonder...

Focus on that later. Right now, I have to figure out how to get out of here. Looking down at myself, I tried to get a grasp on my current situation. I was still wearing my ruined clothes, still chained up, still uncertain of what was going on, and that nasty bruise looking mark was still on my left arm. In fact, the cold I felt seemed to originate from there. The manacle around my wrist was tight, but not painfully so. And the chain on that restraint was long enough that I could sit up, but not very comfortably. The chains on my ankles were short so I had to keep my legs out and spread to keep from tugging on them. The manacles on my ankles were a little loose, too, but not enough for me to slip a foot free. Though I tried.

I knew Father would have sent someone after me - and please do not let that be Kazuma, because he will never let me live this down - I wasn't going to wait around like some useless damsel for rescue. Wait! Maybe, if I try hard enough, I can melt these stupid cuffs and be on my way?

Taking a deep breath, I tried to call out my inner flame, but as soon as I reached into myself to stoke that fire, the bruise thing on my arm throbbed, cutting my attempt off with a painful lance of cold shooting through me towards my core. A small cry of pain tore out of me and I jerked against the restraints, trying to curl up instinctively in response to the agony. Very slowly, it faded. What in the world? Closing my eyes to help focus, I tried again, but that lance of ice shot through me again, more painful this time than the last. My fire... I couldn't summon it forth. My hands started shaking. This had never happened to me before, ever in my entire life. My fire... I clenched my hands.

"Okay, Ayano, so you can't use your fire magic. No biggie. You can get out of this without it." I pepped myself, trying to think past the pain and fear. It receded little by little, but the memory remained. Somehow, the enemy had blocked me from my powers. It was scary, losing something that has been a part of my very being for so long. But if I can get out of here, I'm sure I can get my magic back. After all, I'm a Kannagi; we have to be in possession of some way to return my magic. In our histories somewhere, maybe? I'll ask Cousin Akira when I get back.

While I tried to figure out what in the world I was going to do, I heard a soft click behind me as a door opened. Twisting as far as I could at the waist, I was able to see the person after they came in and walked away from the door, and felt my stomach clench. His half-mask and blond hair... I growled. "Bernhardt."

Smiling sardonically, the man bowed slightly. "I am honored that the Kannagi flame princess remembers me so well." He said. I gnashed my teeth together.

"Don't call me that!" I snapped. For some reason, hearing this twisted man call me what Kazuma did made me feel violated. Only Kazuma could taunt me and get away with it! The thought made me freeze and blink, startled. What...? Bernhardt just tsked and shook his head, pulling a chair from somewhere beyond my view to before my table, sitting down and crossing his legs like he was getting ready for a quick round of tea.

"Such passion. I can well see why you are so beloved by Kazuma and others. You are the very embodiment of life and fire, after all." I yanked hard on my restraints as Bernhardt spoke. Me, Kazuma's beloved? I snorted at the thought. He prefers soft women, girls he can play hero to and push around. And whatever else I may be, a pushover I am not. And if mister half-face here thought he could control me, then he was about to get a rude awakening, too.

"What do you want with me, Bernhardt? I'm you, I'm not going to let you hurt Kazuma again." As I squirmed and yanked against my bonds, I felt one of the manacles on my ankle loosening. If I can get that free... I tugged harder, which seemed to amuse my captor.

"Kazuma? It's sweet of you to worry about others, fire princess, but that boy is not my objective, though I will get my revenge on him through my plan. It will be the icing on my cake of revenge. He destroyed my master, after all, and scarred half my face with that wind of his. It's only fair I pay him back a little, don't you think?" Bernhardt mused, lightly touching the silver mask on his face. I could care less what had happened to his stupid face. This guy seems to like hearing himself talk, though.

Wait a minute. In all the movies, the bad guys who like to talk always end of revealing their plans to the heros while the good guy's captured, right? So, Bernhardt should tell me his ultimate design here soon, then I'll escape and, using my knowledge of his plan, stop him and be glorious! Along the way, I'll regain my fire power, show Kazuma who's the boss, and get Enraiha back from Father. I smiled. I see nothing wrong with that scenario. Alright, bring it on!

Bernhardt's chuckle broke into my little moment. I met the man's stare again, growling. "Ah, I'm sorry for my rudeness. But you seemed to be in a rather cheerful mood for someone in your situation." He said, gesturing to the restraints holding me down. I snorted and tossed my hair back as well I could.

"A Kannagi will never just give up. Especially not me." I snapped, feeling a little spark in my chest. It wasn't the normal burn I usually carried within me, but...hope bloomed. My fire wasn't totally gone after all! I'd drained my power low with my fighting, but as long as I gave it some time, I should be able to get my magic back. And once I did... "Hehe..."

The blonde man just shook his head and snapped. The door opened beyond my view once more and someone stepped in. A chill filled the air and goosebumps broke out on my skin. The person Bernhardt had summoned walked to the man's side and I shuddered when my eyes landed on the shadowy, humanoid beast who'd captured me. Bernhardt smiled at the yoma before looking at me.

"I do believe you've seen this type of yoma before; they're called gods by some and worshipped, and need a host to survive in the human world." At his words, I recalled the first time I'd actually summoned the Crimson Flame, when I had fought with Ryuya Kazamaki to save Ren from being sacrificed to a yoma. The man had stopped looking human towards the end of the battle, when the yoma had taken full control of him. And, his power had been something requiring both Kazuma and I to attack together to defeat. Even then it had been tough, and that yoma had been weakened from long imprisonment and just possessing a human. Alone, I hadn't stood a chance against that monster, had actually almost died. This one... I shivered at the power I felt inside it.

"I made one of the highest ranking members of Armagest have a little... accident and then used him to become the host for one of the servants of Belial about a year ago. Originally it was done in order to defeat Kazuma when we met again, but when I saw you during Pandemonium, I knew exactly what had to be done." Bernhardt stood and stared down at me. "Truly, the Kannagi family is amazing." His gaze was greedy and as it crawled over, I felt violated though he hadn't even touched me.

This man is utterly mad. He sacrifices people so easily, all to gain power. Armagest, Tsui-Ling, no one was safe from him! I wonder, how many have died for his ambition? And what does he even want? I can't tell, nor do I think I'd even be able to understand it. He's just twisted and sick.

The shadowy yoma turned to the door as someone lightly knocked. Bernhardt sighed and looked at me. "Ah, I must go now, but I'll be back, flame princess. It's not yet time for your grand entrance. I caught you a little ahead of schedule, but now I don't have to rush things. I will leave this yoma to watch over you. He has the most amazing ability to steal the spirits used for magic. The more spirits he eats, the stronger he becomes. For someone of such high spiritual power like you, I do believe this is what you'd call an unbeatable foe." Chuckling at his own sick words, Bernhardt bowed mockingly at me and walked out, shutting the door behind him.

The yoma took up a vigil in the middle of the room, standing out starkly against the white walls surrounding him. I tried to ignore him as I continued to wiggle against my chains. If I could just get one foot free, at least... Twisting, I brought my right hand, the only one able to move freely, down to where the manacle was holding onto my skin. I couldn't see it very well, so I'll just have to use my fingers. The manacle felt old, like the ones used in old movies that had a pin hinge. Hey! Maybe... I groped around with my fingers. The hinge on the right one was extremely lose. Elated, I tried to push it out of the slot with my fingers. With my body twisted the way it was, and that strange cold filling me from the inside, I couldn't generate enough force with my fingers alone to push the pin out of the hinge. Unless...

Bracing myself for what I was about to do, I drew in a deep breath and wiggled until my ankle, and the hinge, were pressed against the side of the table, straining against the shackle. Closing my eyes, I wrenched it as hard as I could against the table edge, crying out as my tendons and bones clashed together painfully, tears popping to my eyes as I twisted my ankle hard in order to force the end of the pin against the hard table top with the entire weight of my leg pushing against it. But then the pin clattered to the floor and I let out a victorious whoop, drawing my right foot up so I could rub at the swelling ankle.

Intentionally spraining my ankle was the least of my worries, though. The yoma was still there, and though I had a foot free, my left arm and ankle were still restrained. I tugged with my still bound foot at the restraint, but the left side shackle was in better condition than the one which had held my right foot. Still, I was trying to get free. I wasn't giving up, and that soothed my pride more than anything else. At least I was trying.

For a moment, though, I wondered... what would happen to me if I didn't get out? What if I failed, and no one was able to find and save me? What would happen to my loved ones? Knowing Bernhardt like I do, there was no doubt in my mind that he intended to use me for some sort of sacrifice. I would probably be given over to a yoma. My passing would hurt so many people... Father, Nanase, Yukari, Ren, Cousin Genma... Kazuma. I stilled.

If I did die here, Kazuma would blame himself. As much as he bothers me, as much as he is a pervy idiot... Kazuma cares a lot for the people he surrounds himself with, and even though he doesn't consider me much more than a money source, he would feel responsible. He's told me that since he had the power to do so, he's made it his goal to protect all the people he can. To make it worse, after Pandemonium... we'd become partners of a sort, a team. And he'd vowed again to keep me safe. To fail in protecting me, when it was what he was paid for and when I was so close to his brother... when we were partners... it might very well send him spirally so far into the black rage he locks up inside himself that he'd never be whole again, never again be the Kazuma I knew now.

"I'm not gonna let that happen." I growled, fighting against the chains with renewed strength. In response to my emotions rising, I felt that spark inside me again. The yoma turned around and faced me, slowly walking towards where I lay. Bernhardt had said he eats spirits... so as my powers returned, was he going to eat the fire spirit away from me? As a spirit magic user, my body needs the spirit of fire to survive. It's directly tied to my life force and without it, I would no longer be able to survive. All spirit magic users are this way. In our use of the spirits, our bodies are changed, just slightly, but enough that we die without that special spiritual energy. The higher the level of power a magic user has, the more they need the spiritual energy. In the Kannagi Family, the need for that energy is pretty high. Especially among the head family.

Still the yoma approached.

Suddenly, I was just so incredibly mad. Mad at myself for being stupid enough to get caught, Mad at Kazuma for being so insensitive, mad at Father, mad at Bernhardt, mad at everyone. I am tired of being used by my friends as entertainment, and tired of being considered weak by a man who refused to admit to the same faults in himself he pointed out in me. I am not someone to be toyed with. I am not a girl who is delicate and needs saving, not a person to be controlled by fear or a yoma. I...I...

"I am not weak!" I screamed as the yoma reached me, kicking at it with my unbound foot. All of the feeling bubbled up inside of me and when that yoma reached out with that oily blackness again, wrapping it up my leg, it all boiled out of me. All the sudden I felt more alive and filled with strength than I ever had before in my entire life. It was like I was burning from the inside out with an unquenchable flame. Throwing my head back, I let out a feral scream I hardly didn't recognize as belonging to me and released that energy on the yoma.

A white flame with a pure black core rippled down my leg, eating the blackness away and crawling into the yoma. It let out an inhuman scream and tried to flee, but the flames crept higher, burrowing into the monster's core and eating it away from the inside. As the yoma flailed and tried to put out the fire, it only spread faster. Then, suddenly, it froze, crumpling to ash as the flames flickered and then died, my chains falling away into rust as I stared.

"What... what was that?" I asked in a squeaky voice, pointing at the now dead yoma blowing away in the dust on the floor. No one answered me, of course. I tried to sit up, but my body collapsed, that cursed cold stabbing into me again. But this time, it came from my left arm and leg, and was a much sharper, dagger-like pain. I was forced to curl up in the fetal position, whimpers breaking from my throat as I waited for the horrible pain to pass. Once it faded, long minutes later, I sat up. Glancing down at where the monster had wrapped it's darkness around me, I saw another swirly bruise appearing on my calf and knee. All the mysterious power which had filled me, that white flame with a black core, was gone. I couldn't even feel my inner fire, not even a little spark.

Drawing in a deep breath, I fisted my hands and knocked myself on the head, lightly. "Snap out of it, Ayano! You're free. Time to escape." Nodding my head, I slid my shaking body to the side of the table and put first my left foot down, then my right. I winced when I rested my weight on the sprained ankle, but it could support me, for now. "Okay. Worry about creepy magic coming from nowhere once you're home." I whispered, coaxing myself onward.

I crept over to the door and slid it open carefully, peeking around the frame. The area outside of my white prison looked like a regular house, with sofas and bookshelves along the wall where my room was located. In the middle there was a coffee table and some chairs arranged around it, but not people. The far wall across from where I stood was made up entirely of windows. Apparently this was a tall building, though, since I could see nothing but clouds beyond the glass. I stepped out and closed the door softly behind me.

"Something's off..." I muttered, glancing around. "It's too quiet, and Bernhardt isn't this careless. He wouldn't leave me with one guard." As I turned and looked around, I caught a slight shimmer out of the corner of my eyes.

Whipping around to face the windows again, I saw a bird flying towards me suddenly run into an invisible wall, causing the shimmer to intensify for a moment. "Oh... I'm inside one of Bernhardt's barriers." I whispered, finally getting it. Like when he had been running the Pandemonium scheme, once again Bernhardt was hiding behind a powerful barrier which made it difficult to find him. Unless you already knew he was there, that is. And I was stuck behind it too. Even Kazuma, with his powerful wind magic, would not be able to find me unless I tore the barrier down first.

"Wait, what am I thinking!? Kazuma this, Kazuma that! Get over him, brain!" I don't want Kazuma to find me! I want to get out of here on my own. Though, with my magic at the level it currently is, there is no way I'll be able to break through the barrier to escape. Despite how crazy he is, Bernhardt is a powerful wizard that I cannot best unless I am at my strongest. Though... I don't think this type of barrier cannot be maintained by a single magic user's spell all alone. It requires a steady flow of energy, and therefore must be based on some sort of magical device. or maybe it was grounded through a spell? No, it was definitely based on a device. If I can find that and destroy it...

"Heh. All those lessons about magic actually did pay off, Father." I said, turning and looking around at the room once more. "Only problem is... how am I supposed to tell what is the magical amplifier?" Besides this room, how many were in this place? There were three other doors to pick from besides the one I had come from.

I let out a sigh and cracked my knuckles. "No help for it, then. I'll just have to smash everything, Kannagi style!" Laughing a little, I started grabbing vases, books, chairs, whatever I could pick up, and throwing them around the room, smashing everything I could. This, I understand. I am good at destruction. It's therapeutic and familiar. Deduction, not so much.

Soon I was standing in the middle of chaos, shards of glass and pottery on the floor and paper pieces floating through the air. It looked like my room after a test, actually. I groaned and shook my head. Focus, jeesh! The barrier hadn't fallen yet, so I guess the device Bernhardt was using to keep it up wasn't in here. Sighing, I started carefully picking my way through the carnage towards the other doors.

The first one next to my prison opened up into a long hallway with more doors on either side. Standing in the open portal, I felt my jaw fall open and groaned. "No way! This place is huge; it'll take me forever to go through and break everything!" I cried, voice echoing around me. No wonder there were no other guards but the yoma I'd killed; Bernhardt had known that even if I did get out of the white room, there was no way to easily escape the labyrinth I was in.

"Uhg, don't think about it! Break things!" I yelled, heading for the nearest door on the left side and yanking it open. It appeared to be a piano room, with lots of sheet music and instruments. I'm not all that musically talented - I'm actually tone deaf - but I've always loved music. Even so, I couldn't let my love for things stop me from breaking them. Setting my jaw, I got to work shredding and bashing.

The view outside the windows was one of complete darkness by the time I'd gone through every room in the mansion, breaking and ripping every breakable and rippable object in it. I don't know how many hours that meant had gone by, since the barrier distorted time anyway, but my body was exhausted.

Flopping down onto one of the sofas in the main room, I propped my chin up in my hand and let out a deep sigh. "That didn't work as well as I thought it would." I whispered, rubbing my ankle tenderly. The skin was swollen and inflamed, and it had reached the point that I almost couldn't walk. I don't know how long Bernhardt would be gone, either. If he came back and found out what I'd done to his hide-out...

Planning isn't my thing, though! I rush in, I break things, I kill yoma, that's my job. Its Kazuma and Father who make plans. Too much thinking can't be good for the brain, after all. What if it overheats? Is that even possible? I guess that it isn't, otherwise Father would be overheated all the time. But he's a Kannagi so he can't overheat. Kazuma, then? I mean, if there's someone who's always brooding over one thing or another, that'd be him. He doesn't overheat, so I guess that means brains don't get too hot if you use them too much. Darn then. Guess I'll have to try to figure this out.

Staring out the window, I bit my lip and tried to sort this whole ungodly situation out in my head. Why did Bernhardt need me, specifically, for his grand plan? He'd said he'd only realized it when he saw me during the Pandemonium incident which meant that the man hadn't been aware before then of whatever it was about me which made me special. So... what was it? Something I had shown during Pandemonium? Not Enraiha; I obviously didn't have it with me now, and my captor didn't seem too upset about that. My fire magic abilities weren't weak, but others in the family are stronger, like Father and Cousin Genma. So it couldn't be that either. I just don't -

"I don't understand, Kazuma." My father's voice made me fall off the couch. Quickly pulling myself up, I stood, looking for him. But I didn't see his familiar face anywhere. Frowning and swallowing hard at the sudden lump that lodged in my throat at hearing his voice, I called out to him.

"Father? Father, it's me, where are you?" I shouted, looking all over the place. He wasn't there, but I know I heard him. Tears built up in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I wasn't going to cry. Sniffing, I turned in a circle. One of the windows was darker than the rest and something appeared to be flickering in it. I limped over and gasped. Inside the glass, instead other endless expanse of sky, I saw my father standing outside the apartment Detective Tachibana had set me up in, Kazuma at his side. I blinked at the sight of Father outside the Kannagi Compound, then shook my head. Focus on the important things, here, Ayano!

Why was I seeing them in a window?

TerraTorture's words came back to me. 'A mirror or something reflective is always left behind.' He'd been talking about the sights of the yoma sacrifices popping up recently, and just like when I'd seen the silver platter become a mirror at the museum... Bernhardt had been watching the sacrifices from "here," wherever this was. Which meant that he had something reflective set up at the apartment, and probably had since long before I moved in. From the position of the image, I would guess it to be the metal covering on the fuse box outside the room. It had been rather shiny. I shuddered, thinking of what the man may have been planning to do there. But wait.. .Bernhardt had talked to me through the silver platter, hadn't he? So I should be able to talk to Father!

"Father! Hey, Father, can't you hear me? Faaaaather!" I yelled, waving my arms and jumping as much as I could with my ankle about giving out on me, but the two men didn't appear to hear me. Ah, I remember now. I hadn't known Bernhardt was there until he'd started clapping, so there must be some sort of switch on this thing to make it go from audible to silent, right? I started running my hands over the glazz, desperate. While I searched, I listened.

"Like I said, Jugo, her spirit energy is gone. There's nothing left, none at all. If her things weren't at this apartment, I wouldn't have known she was here." Kazuma was saying, holding my bag in his hand. I saw my laptop in it and let out a relieved sigh. Father had said after I burned my last one in frustration that if I broke or lost another laptop he wasn't going to buy my replacement. That's one less thing to worry about... My father frowned at Kazuma's words.

"It's simply not possible for all the energy of a spirit mage to just vanish like that, not without great cost. Very few things can erase power like that, especially not fire magic energy, since it embodies life itself." Father said, lifting a hand. I blinked and paused in my search when I saw he held Enraiha. I'd done it right, then! Go me! No, no, find that switch, Ayano! Focus, girl!

"I know. And it's faint, but I can sense a yoma was here. If I were to guess, then I'd say she was overpowered by the yoma I'm sensing and carted off." Kazuma said, frowning and shoving his hands into his jeans. "But I can't tell you much more than that. The yoma's energy trail has been erased, too."

My father lifted the wooden sword and held it against his chest tightly. "At least we know Ayano was alive when she was taken from here." He whispered, voice choked. My throat tightened and I wanted to scream, to let him know I was fine. He looked aged, fragile in a way that I don't think I've ever seen. Father isn't young anymore. What if this hurt him? But unless I found out how to make this mirror two ways... he wouldn't know. I had to find a way!

Lifting my hands, I banged on the glass. "Let them hear me!" I shouted, falling to my knees and gasping back tears. My knee landed on a shard of pottery left over from my earlier rampage, slicing the skin open so I bled. I pressed my palm against the wound, wincing. In the window, Father and Kazuma were heading back towards the car I could see parked in the distance. I reached out with my bloody hand and touched the image of my dad. "Daddy, please don't go..." I choked out, calling him like I used to when I was little and missing my mother.

He paused and looked up. "Ayano?" He whispered turning around to face the apartment again. I looked at my red hand and then the crimson smudge on the glass and wrinkled my nose. Of course blood would be the key, though Bernhardt doesn't seem the type to ever use his own. The man is totally nasty.

Kazuma was looking at my father like he had lost his mind. I stood, keeping my bloody knee pressed against the glass just in case. "Can you hear me now, Father?" I asked. He whipped around and stared straight at me, then rushed forward to stand before whatever I was being reflected in, relief spreading across his face.

"Ayano! Thank heavens you're alright. When you sent Enraiha to me, I feared the worst." He said, raising a hand, trying to reach out to me. I pressed my palm against the glass as well, wishing I could reach my way through it and throw myself into his arms. I swallowed hard. Stay strong, Ayano. Don't cry. Don't let Father know you want to cry. He's never been able to handle my tears. My anger, yes, all the time. Frustration, fear, he can deal with those like a pro, but if I start to cry he panics. And I need him not panicking right now, thanks.

"I'm sorry I worried you, Father, but... I've lost my flame." I whispered, looking away for a moment. "So I had to send Enraiha away. At least I protected the Sacred Sword." Father shook his head.

"Ayano, I'm more happy that you are alright. Where are you? Kazuma can't sense you - " Father stopped talking when Kazuma appeared at his elbow, staring hard at me. I gulped. He was mad. I could see it in the tension he was carrying in his shoulders and the way his brandy colored eyes glared at me. In them I could read exactly what he was going to say. 'You're an idiot, look what happens when you try to do things on your own, you're nothing but trouble, spoiled little Kanangi Princess...' When he opened his mouth I winced and braced myself for the scathing words.

But he just shook his head and sighed. "Who's captured you, Ayano?" He asked softly, all the more terrifying for his controlled faced. Why wasn't he angry and yelling at me? When Kazuma is mature and collected like this, I get scared because... wait a moment. This little sneak! He wasn't going to come right out and say he knew who had me. Kazuma wants me to confess it myself. I sighed. So maybe he was acting, trying to catch me off guard to make me fess up or something. He won't be satisfied until I admit my mistake, will he?

I put my hand on my hip and glared at him. "Shut up! You know exactly who had me, don't pretend like you guys don't know." I stuck my tongue out at him and looked at Father. "But I don't know where I am. It's surrounded by a barrier, one like Bernhardt used to keep his base hidden during the Pandemonium incident. I've been breaking everything I can, to try and disrupt whatever he's using as an amplifier to keep it up, but I haven't had much luck. And I've broken everything in the house." I said.

There was a long pause as the two men looked at one another, then Kazuma covered his eyes and shook his head. "Princess, amplifiers and grounding spells are two different things. You can't destroy a grounding spell, you have to cancel it out. They're much more powerful and effective than amplifiers and are what Bernhardt uses to keep a large barrier up. It feeds off it's own magic." He finally said, sighing. "Jugo, I'm really concerned about the Kannagi Family future with such an idiot as the next head."

My Father just shrugged, not coming to my defense or refuting what Kazuma had said. I pouted. They should at least give me credit for remembering that you have to destroy amplifiers, even if that wasn't what I was supposed to in this particular instance. They aren't being fair.

Father lifted Enraiha and looked at me seriously. "If I send Enraiha back to you imbued with my flames, do you think you can use it to cancel out the barrier so we can find you? Even if you yourself cannot manifest flames, you should still be able to control them. And you have practice holding my flames." His words sent me back to when I was very little.

Right after the accident which ruined his leg and shattered his back, Father had been laid up for many months at the compound. Since Mother had just died, I hadn't wanted to leave his side, afraid that if I did, he would vanish just like my mom had. I'd even stopped going to training. In order to start recovering and to help me train, Father had manifested his powerful Purple Flames in order to help me learn how to control fire other than my own. At first I hadn't been able to, but eventually I learned how to manipulate and control that dangerous, deadly flame. I guess, now that I think about it, that was why I'd been able to successfully use the Blue Flame when Kazuma had melded his power with mine in that fight against the dragon beastie.

I nodded, then thought a moment. "Father, what's the highest color a flame can hold?" I asked as he braced his feet apart and held Enraiha horizontally before him. For a moment, his eyes flickered, but then he just shook his head.

"That I do not know; only the Spirit King of Fire knows that." He said, beautiful purple flames leaping to life around him. Kazuma stepped back from the violet fire, looking impressed and slightly awed. I smiled bitterly. It wasn't often people were able to see Father's flames. Mostly he manipulates the fire's of those around him instead of revealing his own. It's just easier on his body. The purple fire rippled down Enraiha's blade, rippling over the surface. Father then closed his eyes and slowly collapsed his hands inward from both ends of the blade until his hands touched, vanishing the sword.

I stepped back from the window and clapped my hands together. "Enraiha, come forth!" I shouted, feeling so happy when violate flames burst between my fingers and my palm met the familiar handle of the wooden sword. Though it wasn't burning with my flames, I felt better with the sword in my hands. Father smiled at me when I looked up at the window again.

"Don't let it go, again, Ayano. It's dangerous for you to be without Enraiha. Now, break the barrier. Kazuma, will you be able to follow the energy from my flames to locate Ayano?" He looked over at the wind mage, who nodded. He was looking at my father weirdly, like he almost didn't trust him. But that's not right, because out of all the Kannagi, I think Kazuma trusts my father the most. So why was he giving him a look like he thought Father was doing something fishy.

Don't worry about it. I lifted Enraiha. "To do that, I'm going to have to shatter the window that we are talking through right now." Father nodded and stepped back. "see ya soon!" I took a deep breath and then struck the window with Enraiha as hard as I could. It shattered right away, taking Father and Kazuma's face away. "Heeeeyuuuu!" I shouted as I swung the sword again, this time sending the flames Father had imbued the blade with out at the barrier, shattering the thing easily. This fire was seriously strong... almost painfully. Even though I wasn't using my own power, I felt that chill pricking me again. Ignoring it, I focused on the window as it fell. I caught my first true glimpse of where I was and stepped away from the open window as I looked out over the city from one of the top floors of the tallest office building in town. At least here I'll be easy to find, now that the barrier is gone.

"Well, looks like I've underestimated you and your family again, Kannagi princess." I whirled around when I heard Bernhardt's voice behind me, clutching Enraiha tighter. I'd used most of the fire Father had put into the sacred sword to shatter the barrier; there wasn't enough left in it to fight, especially not against someone as powerful as him. He came slowly across the room, picking his way through the wreckage with ease. "I was almost certain that yoma would keep you under control. After all, without their spirit, we magic users die. That threat alone was enough to hold captive the mages I tried the yoma on before. I guess this fire in you is what makes you so special." His eyes landed on the bruises on my left arm and leg, a smirk twisting up his lips. I shifted on my feet, wincing in pain as my ankle protested the movement.

Out of the frying pan and into the fire, as it were, I guess. The wind from the open window behind me lifted my hair and - wait. Wind? I glanced behind me, seeing the open portal and the endless expanse beneath it. There was no way of knowing, but... I looked back at Bernhardt, seeing his sick grin. There was no way I was staying here. Taking a deep breath, I gave Bernhardt my snarkiest grin.

"Allow me to let you in on something, Bernhardt. No one, not even my family, can control me." I spat, sending the last of the Father's fire at him in a wide burst. While he tried to fight off the flames, I turned and faced the window. "I hope you're paying attention..." I whispered, closing my eyes and, without a seconds hesitation, jumped out into the open air beyond.

"Kazumaaaaaaa!"


	6. Chapter 6

As soon as Ayano's image shattered in the glass before us, the power of Jugo's flame appeared dimly on the edge of Kazuma's senses, near the center of the city. "I'm going ahead. I'll met you back at the house." He told the Kannagi head, rising into the air and shooting towards the city's heart where the faint pulse of power was coming from.

When he'd seen Ayano appear in the glass, he's almost fallen to his knees. Jugo had run to her image immediately, but Kazuma had stayed behind and slightly off to the side so that the girl couldn't see how painfully relieved he was so see her confident, battered face. Even though each gash on her beautiful skin made him want to destroy whoever had put them there, he was so proud of her. His princess hadn't stopped fighting after all. She was saucy to her father, though he'd caught sight of tears when she's realized they could hear her. Kazuma was glad she hadn't cried, though. He couldn't recall ever seeing tears in her eyes, but if he did, he wasn't certain what he would do. The very thought made his entire body seize and his lungs freeze up, the air spirits around him shivering in response. Kazuma shook his head. _'Stop it. She's alive, not crying, right in front of you.'_

Even though they knew the girl was alive, they needed to rescue her soon. There was no telling when Bernhardt would return to where he had Ayano hidden, and then... Kazuma pressed his lips together. _Stop. Don't think of that_. What's more troubling, and more pressing, was the sense the wind mage had that Jugo was hiding something, a secret about Ayano. Kazuma intended to get it out of the man as soon as the headstrong heir was back in her bed, safe at home. Why couldn't Enraiha be taken away from Ayano? Why was it dangerous? He didn't like the man hiding things, especially about Ayano.

Kazuma was close to the residual power from Jugo now, and he could see the invisibility spell dispersing around a barrier that encompassed the upper levels of the huge office building recently opened in the downtown area. If he was remembering his facts right, this building was owned by a European company. If he investigated, the chances were pretty good that there would be a connection to Armagest, buried deep, but there nonetheless. He made a mental note to have Kirika check it out once Ayano was safely locked up in her home. And there would be locking involved. His headstrong princess wasn't the type of women to stay put when told, especially not after the "insult" of being kidnapped. To keep her safe, Kazuma wasn't above using his wind to lock her room in a barrier. Actually, that was king of appealing...

Movement near the top of the building caught his attention, diverting him from thoughts better left to his nights alone in his suite. Someone stood in a shattered window near the top floor. Could that be... he flew towards the person, but before he got close, the figure standing there leapt outside of the building and began falling rapidly towards the ground. Flame colored hair streamed in the wind, and Kazuma's heart stopped.

_Shit!_

He wouldn't make it if he flew. Kazuma summoned his wind spirits as fast as he could and teleported to where Ayano was falling, catching the girl ten stories up from the ground and falling with her for five until he managed to control their fall and rise up into the safety of the air again. The sudden jerk of her fall and rise in the air wrenched Enraiha from her grasp, but it vanished in violet flames before it hit the ground below. Jugo must still be in control of the sword, then, though at that moment, he couldn't care less about the sacred sword. Reaching the safety of the sky once more, Kazuma blew out a breath. It always took a lot out of him to teleport, which was why he tried not to do it too often.

The girl in his arms slowly opened her beautiful fire eyes and, when she saw the ground below her was no longer approaching at a rapid rate, let out a relieved sigh. Brushing her tangle of hair back, Ayano looked up into his face with a beautiful smile that almost stopped his heart. This girl... "Kazuma, tha-"

"You stupid idiot!" Kazuma broke into her words with a yell, headbutting her since his hands were too busy to smack her like he wanted to. While she yelped and rubbed her head, Kazuma lashed out. "Don't you ever think before you do something? What were you going to do if I weren't here yet? With your flame blocked, you wouldn't be able to do anything to save yourself!" The words just bubbled out of him. His fear when he'd seen her falling coupled with the incredible relief of having her in his arms again had broken his control.

For a moment Ayano looked shocked, then her face set into the muleish lines Kazuma loved to stare at, tried to punch him. He moved his face out of the way, concerned by how weak her attack was. He hadn't needed to call up his wind powers at all to deflect. This attack wasn't like the princess he knew. She usually tried to kick him, even when he had her in a princess hold in the air like this. Plus... there was no fire in the hit. Kazuma couldn't sense the crackling energy inside her at all, which was not good. For a spirit magic user to lose her magic...

"Well excuse me for trusting you, Kazuma. I won't do it again. Now, I'd like to see my father, if you don't mind." She snapped, crossing her arms and looking away. That was when Kazuma noticed that she was shaking slightly in his arms. She wasn't afraid of heights, not with all the times she has leaped off buildings and been carried in his arms, so why... Belatedly, Kazuma noticed that she seemed cold. His concern only grew. Normally she was a furnace in his arms, but now she was cold to the touch. A Kannagi is never cool, especially not a Kannagi from the head family. Something was seriously wrong with Ayano.

He looked closer at her, trying to figure out what had hurt his princess so much. There had to be a source, and if he could find the problem, then he could fix this. He wanted to be called a pervert and kicked at again, and not just because it allowed him to see her cotton panties. It meant she was alright. Ayano was pretty beaten up and drained in his arms, physically worn out and tired. He remembered she'd fought two yoma today, at least, that he was aware of. evidence suggested both were summoned yoma, too, incredible strong monsters to face under optimal conditions. She hadn't been at her best today, because of their earlier argument. Kazuma felt a pinch of guilt, but he easily shook it away. She was a tough girl; such a little thing wasn't the issue. It was a combination of bad circumstances that had landed her in the fight with powerful yoma.

The kidnapping and whatever had stolen her powers were only making her state worse. Along with the numerous cuts and gashes on her body, and an incredibly swollen ankle, she had a sinister looking, unusual bruise on her left arm and leg. Could that be it? "Princess, what happened to you?" Kazuma asked as he started to slowly turn in the direction of the Kannagi home. He caught sight of someone standing in the window Ayano had jumped from, and paused, deadly darkness rising up inside of him. Bernhardt...

"I... I just want to go home... Kazuma." Ayano's broken whisper drew his attention away from the window and to the woman in his arms. She was pale, and her tremors were getting worse. Concern for her drove the anger back, but not away. if anything, Kazuma's dark emotions just simmered, growing more potent and dangerous with each uncharacteristic action from the Kannagi girl in his arms. Casting one last look at the man standing there, watching the pair with a smirk on his face, Kazuma flew as fast as he could to the Kannagi house.

When he landed with the shivering Ayano in his arms, Jugo was waiting for him, along with his father and Ren, and what seemed like the entirety of the extended family. The compound where the Kannagi's lived was huge, but Kazuma had no idea so many people lived within its walls. Maybe more had moved in after he left?

"Father!" Ayano cried, voice choked a little with emotion. She struggled to get free from his grasp, reaching for her father. Without waiting for Kazuma to move, Jugo rushed up to him and pulled Ayano from his arms, crushing the girl to him.

"Ayano!" He whispered hoarsely, squeezing his eyes shut as he clutched the girl to him, body trembling with his emotions. Ayano held into her father just as tightly. Behind them, Kazuma's hands flexed with the remembered feel of holding her soft curves. Over Ayano's shoulder, Jugo met his eyes, the sheer emotion in them disturbing for Kazuma. He looked away, clearing his throat, unable to handle the honest love Jugo had for his daughter. The man was a good father, despite Kazuma's issues over how he used his naive, headstrong daughter. Jugo, unlike Kazuma's old man, actually did care about his child.

Ren came rushing over, grabbing his hand and snapping him out of his brood. Well, at least the old man loved one of his sons, anyway. "You found her, Kazuma! Is she alright?" The boy's green eyes were filled with worry. Kazuma wanted nothing more than to lie to his little brother then, to protect him from the truth that he himself was beginning to realize, but he couldn't. To anyone else, the lie would easily slip out, even to Ayano, but he's never been able to lie to Ren.

"No, she's not, Ren. And I don't know what to do to make her better." He told the boy, just as Jugo let out a startled sound, drawing the attention of every spirit magic user there.

"Ayano, you're freezing?!" The exclamation made many of the branch family members gasp, terrible fear and worry coming to their eyes as Jugo rubbed roughly at his daughter's frigid skin. The whispers started, and the harsh looks as well, all directed at the flame haired young woman covered in injuries in front of them. Kazuma understood, even as he wished he didn't. To these people, Ayano represented the hope and future of the Kannagi Clan, and was the one they heaped their expectations and wishes upon. They were part of the reason the girl was so fixated on proving herself, and so unconvinced of her own mortality. They pushed her too far. She had to be the best and strongest, for them. Because she was the next leader of the clan, she was supposed to be better, stronger, more extraordinary than any of them. Ayano strove to please them in all things, making her something of a marvel to the branch families. So for these people to hear that their heiress was cold... it rocked them. And it made them question her right to be heir. Eyes shifted from Ayano to Ren in contemplation.

Feeling sick, Kazuma stepped forward as Jugo pulled the shivering girl tighter against him, trying to share his body heat with her. "That won't work, Jugo. Her inner flame is completely gone. You know as well as I do what happens to a magic users body when there is no spirit energy left." His words caused the Kannagi head to stiffen, staring painfully down at his daughter's flame hair as she burrowed into his arms, desperately trying to get warm.

It took all Kazuma's strength to stand there and say such a thing to Jugo. To pretend that he didn't care, or that his heart wasn't shattering as the Kannagi heir tried to be strong in front of her family, even as they doubted her and what she's done, what she's gone through for them. He wanted to take Ayano from Jugo and hold her close to his own body, share his meager warmth with the girl. But he knew that couldn't. This was a problem for the family, not an outsider like him. Despite Jugo's attempts to get him to return, Kazuma wasn't a part of the Kannagi Clan. Ayano belonged to them, not to him alone.

His fists clenched so tightly that his nails pressed purple crescent moons into his palms.

Without saying anything, Jugo lifted Ayano's beaten, shaking body into his arms and slowly, painfully, started walking towards the main house where his and Ayano's rooms were. The crowd of people split before him, each face sorrowful and strained, but not one person made the mistake of offering to carry the girl for him, despite the limp which became more pronounced with each step the man took. As her father, and as the head of the family, only Jugo had the right to carry the injured Ayano, heir to Enraiha and the Kannagi name.

The branch families closed ranks after Jugo passed through, following the man towards the main house quietly, each casting suspicious looks towards Kazuma until he was left with only his father and Ren.

"Kazuma, what's going to happen to Ayano?" Ren asked in a shaking voice, clutching at his big brother's hand. Kazuma wanted to be the one to comfort the boy, to make him believe that everything would be alright, but he couldn't.

"If a magic user loses their spirit energy completely, their bodies weaken continuously trying to compensate for the sudden absence. We use more energy than regular humans, and cannot live without that spirit power inside of us. The stronger a magic user, the more devastating the loss of energy is. And the more painful. For a fire magic user of the Kannagi line..." He couldn't continue speaking and looked away from Ren's watery eyes. If the boy cried, he didn't have what it took to stand there and lie, saying _'it'll be alright.'_ Not when the person in danger was Ayano. Kazuma's heart skipped. Especially when it was Ayano.

"Can...can we fix it? Like you did when the miasma was poisoning her?" Ren's voice was small, painful to hear. Kazuma shook his head.

"I saved her using Elixir; I don't have anymore. If I did, I would have already given it to her." He said, pulling free of Ren's grasp and turning to leave. He couldn't just stand around doing nothing any longer. Kazuma is a man of action, not of useless bickering and hypothetical words. He was going to go find a solution, even if he had to beat it out of someone. His father stood in the way.

"Move, old man." Kazuma snapped, in no means willing or able to handle the stubborn old fool today. Genma Kannagi just crossed his arms over his chest and stayed still. Kazuma gritted his teeth. He's beaten his father before, but it took more out of him than he had to give at this point. He couldn't fight with the old man today, but he also wasn't just going to stand and let the man dominant him. "Having troubles moving in your old age? Arthritis acting up today?" He was snarky, trying to anger the man so he could slip away.

"Where are you going?" Genma asked instead, face impassive and cold. Inhumanly clam, in a way that was not natural for a Kannagi. Their emotions are not subdued unless suppressed by extreme willpower. So, the wind Mage knew. Genma was furious and incredibly worried about Ayano. She was, after all, his cousin as well. And, the future head of the family. A kannagi, and the Kannagi clan was all he cared about. Kazuma gnashed his teeth together, the wind around his kicking up in angry twirls in response to his frustration.

"Back to where I got Ayano; Bernhardt is there, and I know that bastard is the reason she's hurt. I'm going to wipe the floor with that bastard and make him tell me what he did to her!" He snapped, brushing by the older man and walking off. Blue flames leapt up in his path, stopping him. Kazuma whirled around.

"Cut the crap, old man!" He was so angry he didn't even consider flying off. Whenever he was around the old man, he reverted back to a child, and forgot that he had powers now too. He felt helpless, hopeless, against the might and power of his father. Kazuma hated him for making those feelings return once again.

"Cool your head, Kazuma!" Genma snapped back, unperturbed at the younger man's anger. "You are no match for Bernhardt! He is a powerful magic user with years of experience and has an entire organization behind him. If you try something stupid, it is the Kannagi family who will feel the impact and face the consequences. Think before you act, you idiot boy!"

Ren looked back and forth between his father and older brother. They were both causing their spirits to gather and snap in response to their feelings, causing a tumultuous riot of power to crash and roll in the and small stones flew about while tiny pockets of blue fire danced in the air. "Hey, um..." Ren attempted to interject, but Kazuma yelling drowned him out.

"I'm not a damn Kannagi! What do I care if your entire clan get's destroyed by Armagest? In fact, that'd help me out a whole damn lot!" He snapped, eyes flickering viciously. Following Kazuma's outburst, a dangerous, heavy silence fell over the trio. All the dangerous magic dropped out of the air. For a moment the wind mage looked stricken by what he'd said, but then he shoved his hands into his jeans and waited, eyes cold. He wasn't going to take those words back. Ren appeared stunned, green eyes filling with tears as he stared at his older brother. A muscle ticked in Genma's jaw, then the older man's arm flew out and he punched Kazuma, sending the younger man crashing to the ground.

"Let's go, Ren." Genma quietly called his younger son over, guiding him with a hand on his back towards the main house. The little blonde looked at his brother struggling to rise of the ground, then up at his father and shrugged the hand away so he could turn back towards the wind mage. "But, Kazuma - "

"Ayano needs her family around her right now, Ren. An outsider should not be involved." Delivering those words, Genma walked off without looking back. Ren, after a long moment, sighed.

"I understand how you feel, Kazuma, but... both Ayano and I are Kannagi. We can't change who we are. What effects the clan effects us. I thought... maybe, with your feelings for Ayano -" Kazuma stood, wiping the blood from his face and cutting his brother's words off.

"What feelings, Ren? Tell me." He asked darkly, voice low and filled with terrible anger. As much as he liked to distance himself from the Kannagi, Kazuma was still a lot like them. His temper was all encompassing and often made him act very rashly. He always regretted it afterwards, but his pride was so high that he couldn't ever bring himself to apologize. Watching his little brother now, Kazuma realized that maybe, he might have gone little too far. Ren sucked in a breath, clenching his hands into fists. His gentle green eyes hardened into a look Kazuma had never seen before. It cut him to his core. Disappointment and disillusionment sparkles from the emerald depths at him.

"Love, Kazuma. I know what love is like and I can see it between you two. I thought that since you are able to accept Ayano, you were getting over the trauma from your past. But I guess I was wrong." The blonde stood straighter, eyes sad as he looked at his older brother. "Bye, Kazuma." Kazuma said nothing as his brother slowly walked away, sorrow in every step.

Inside his mind he begged and cried, took back his painful words, but he didn't speak. Instead he rubbed his bruised jaw and stared at the house where his woman had been taken. There was nothing he could do for her, he knew that, and yet he wanted nothing more than to go to her, force her family out of the way, and hold her in his arms. He just wanted to carry her away into the sky where he could wrap her in his wind and protect her from everything. Yoma, her friends, family... Himself. All of it. But... he knew he'd just destroyed whatever progress he'd made with his former family through his careless, anger driven words. Ren wouldn't easily forgive Kazuma's betrayal of the family the boy loved. The old man probably never would. And once Jugo learned, he'd probably be reticent about hiring him as a guard for Ayano again. Ayano... His flame princess would be so mad she's tried to cut him with Enraiha. She'd chase after him and send reckless fireballs his way until she beat some sense into his head and forced him to apologize. Well... If she had her inner flame she would. But she didn't. So he wouldn't get to see her anger at him now.

All his personal issues didn't mean that he was going to abandon her, though. Ayano was his princess, and until he returned to her that fire and spark which made her so important to him, he wasn't going to rest. Though is anyone asked, he wasn't doing it for her. He was just trying to see what could restore spirit energy in case something like this ever happened to him. It was a weak excuse, but Kazuma was going to stick to it. No one could know he was doing this for Ayano. But, where to start?

According to what little he remembered from his spirit magic lessons as a child, it was almost impossible to take a magic users power away from them. The link between the two is just too strong to easily break. It's something they're all born with, after all, and grows with them as they go through life. However, cases of it have been recorded, especially in ancient accounts from times when Yoma summoning was more popular. In the accounts, the entirety of the process is written out, from the initial stages to then end. A magic user's body cannot cope with the loss of energy and a terrible illness overtakes them. For wind magic users, they slowly suffocate, unable to take in the wind. For earth magic users, they waste away to dust, unable to recharge their inner strength through contact with the eart. For water magic users, they mummify, unable to keep the water at the core of their beings. And for fire magic users, they freeze to death internally, unable to manifest the fire at the center of their being.

The very idea of it was repugnant to him. Kazuma wasn't going to allow his flame princess to freeze inside her own body. He wasn't going to let that riotous energy, full of heat and flames, leave him behind. He wasn't going to ever let his women leave him again. No way. But what could he do? None of the accounts he read had any information on how to stop the terrible fate awaiting someone whose spirit was stolen. Kazuma flipped through pages of information in his mind, trying to recall some way to save Ayano. Despite all his knowledge he didn't find an answer. Who could he ask, then? A dust memory jiggled. Wait...

Turning, he quickly ran away from the main house towards one of the buildings near the back. Normally the scholarly people were hanging out here, but with Ayano in the state she was in, almost everyone was at the main house, trying to help. Therefore, Kazuma was easily able to sneak into the Kannagi Library. Inside, it was a chaotic but kind of organized cacophony of books, scrolls, and beautiful ancient tapestries. All of them contained the many years of history of his former family. Their triumphs and failures, contained inside the knowledge of ages. The scent of knowledge and time filled the air, but he didn't have time to sit and bask in the memories one of his favorite childhood hideaways. Instead, he rushed to a crooked bookshelf in a hidden back corner of the building. He'd spent many hours with this long forgotten bookcase, reading the books there while hiding from the old man. And he could recall at one point reading in a very strange book... Kazuma started digging through the books and scrolls on the shelves, throwing the books he didn't want onto the floor behind him without much care for their age and value. He didn't have time for that! Ayano needed help.

The book, where was the book... near the back of the bookshelf, half hidden under a few years worth of cobwebs and dust, he found it. A small, black bound book that was almost illegible because of it's age. Carefully, he opened the pages, watching as some fell loose from their bindings to his feet. But he knew where what he wanted was. Flipping to the last page, Kazuma read aloud to himself.

"We lost our precious leader that day, but learned the truth. The loss of her unconquerable spirit could have been prevented, had only we the courage to ask it of the Spirit King." Nothing more was written, and the pages leading up to the line were missing. Even so, he didn't care. The words told him exactly what he needed to do. Kazuma needed to find one of the four Spirit Kings. Not just any of them, though. One he already had a relationship with.

He needed to find the Spirit King of Wind.

But how? Kazuma frowned and put the book back, running a hand through his hair carelessly, leaving streaks of dust and webs behind in the deep brown strands. The Spirit King's don't exactly follow normal rules. They are not, after all, human's, nor are they bound by human rules. Kazuma didn't consider himself an expert of the Spirit Kings, but he has met one of them, which is more than most people can say. It changed his life completely, too. He can still remember the first time he met the Spirit King of Wind.

_When the cultist turned towards Kazuma, he didn't care what happened to him then. Tsui-Ling was gone, eaten by a yoma. What meaning did he have in his life anymore? He had failed to protect the one woman he had sworn to. It would be best... it would be better for everyone if he just died here, in the same way the Tsui-Ling had. He sobbed, head down and tears rolling off the end of his nose. As his emotions grew darker and more painful, Kazuma didn't notice the small stirring in the air around him, as leaves shivered on the ground and the soft strands of his hair ruffled in a sudden breeeze. Instead, he just wished, quickly, to die._

'Now this won't do. Such pessimism isn't appropriate once you've finally awoken the powers dormant inside of you.' _The voice came out of the sky and whipped the stirring air into a mad frenzy around Kazuma, halting the forward advance of the man trying to kill him as a sacrifice. While Kazuma lay stunned, a cyclone of air came down from the heaven's and swirled in front of him, then blew outwards to reveal a tall man with pure white hair and the most piercing blue eyes Kazuma had ever seen. The pale man looked down on Kazuma with a defined twist to his lips._ 'Honestly, it is truly sad to see a Kannagi in this state. Tsk... Oh well. Hey, you. Get up.' _The man said, a blade of air slicing out to cut away the chains binding Kazuma._

_Dazed, grief ridden and confused, Kazuma pulled himself upright, watching the stranger warily._ 'How... how do you know I am a Kannagi? I've left all that behind." _He said, voice hoarse and painful from his screaming. The white haired men snorted and looked offended._

'Please. The power in your blood means you can only be a Kannagi. Besides, I can see what is hidden and know what is secret. I see everything and nothing, am everywhere and nowhere, and I control everything and nothing.' He waved a hand. 'But such things are beyond you. The limits of time make human minds so feeble, after all.'

_Kazuma frowned. His senses were buzzing and he felt like his eardrums were being squeezed, slowly, like from a great pressure._ 'Who are you?' _He asked, voice sounding like it came from a distance away. His clothes were being tugged on by the wind and it buzzed by his ears sharply, almost cutting in sound and power. The air swirling about him, keeping the cultist away, did not feel threatening, though. It felt safe, somehow._

'I am the Spirit King of Wind. You can call me Zephyr if you wish, Kaze if you feel cheeky, or even Gale if you're a snarky bastard. I care not. I am here because I wish to form a Contract with you.'_ Kazuma's eyes widened and he took a stumbling step back. In his youth, before his father chased him away, he had spent time with Cousin Akira in the library, absorbing knowledge because he wished to be able to do something right. There he had learned about the power of Contractors, those the Spirit Kings gave their special powers to. Contractors generally started a long line of power that lasted for generations, like with his original family, the Kannagi Clan. The first Kannagi had been a Contractor. But why was a Spirit King coming to him, the black sheep of the Kannagi Clan? Why would someone so powerful and otherworldly be offering him power, now? Why not before, when Tsui-Ling was in danger? When he had begged and screamed until his voice ran blood and tears clouded her beautiful face from his eyes? Why had this miraculous offer for power come only when his life was endangered?_

'Because you wouldn't have accepted it then.' _The white haired man said, buffing his nails on his shirt._ 'And since your abilities have finally awoken, you need to accept my powers. So the woman had to die. It's a mild loss. Now, Kazuma, I can feel your anger and pain. Your hatred. Your dark emotions will make you misuse this power of mine. I don't care. Accept my gift, become the Contractor, bear the azure eyes, and change the trajectory of this world. For good or for evil, I do not care. All I want is for this to change. She will probably yell at me later, but if things turn out, then she will just have to get over it. So, Kazuma... become a Contractor.' _The Spirit King held out his hand, a smirk on his face._

_If he got power... Kazuma would be able to avenge Tsui-Ling's death. He would be able to get back at those Kannagi's who had called him weak, and hurt him. No one considered weak or useless would ever have to be bullied or suffer again, if he took this power. A dangerous, deadly calm settled over him. Meeting the fathomless blue gaze of the Spirit King before him, Kazuma took the hand offered to him._

_The white haired man smiled._ 'Good. Now then. I seal in your blood a contact with me, which grants you the right to call upon the powers I alone posses. All those who share your blood will be gifted by the powers of wind for as long as I mind. Use them how you will, Kazuma Yagami. Change the trajectory of the world. Be free.' _The man's grip on his hand vanished. A terrible pain punched into Kazuma's gut and for a moment he felt like his entire body was being ripped apart from the inside out. Pain gathered inside him and then exploded outward in a rain of wind blades, slicing apart the cultists who had foolishly not fled. Seeing the cut apart bodies around him, Kazuma was stunned to find he felt no guilt. In truth, he just felt... light. Free. His entire body was filled with power, and he could sense things... feel the air moving around him, hear the wind spirits... A smile stretched across his face. _

_Turning, he opened his mouth to thank the Spirit King, but the man was gone, no trace of him remaining. Gone, with the changing of the winds, like he'd never been there at all._

Ever since the Spirit King had vanished that night he gained his powers, Kazuma hadn't seen him. Even when he called upon his powers as the Contractor, the Spirit King didn't show up. He just opened the door to allow the power to flow into his Contractor. He has no idea where to start searching for the Spirit King. But he had no choice. In order to save Ayano, he was going to have to find the Spirit King to return her spirit to her. Kazuma didn't know if the Spirit King of Wind could restore a fire magic user's energy, but as a Spirit King, who knows what was actually possible? The book implied that they could grant boons, or that's how he read it. That hope was maybe the only thing to save Ayano, so he wasn't going to not try it. The worst that could happen would be for the Spirit King to tell him no.

Leaving the library, Kazuma rose up into the air and turned to go, preparing to go find the pixie again to see what she knew, when a slight whisper along the wind made him look down. Ayano stood out by the koi pond, flame hair rippling in the air as she stared at the water. A heavy blanket was thrown around her shoulders, and the hands which clutched it were pale and trembling. Even so, the sight of her there kicked at Kazuma's gut. She was standing tall, fighting against the crippling cold creeping over her. Like a warrior women, she would not back down.

Inside the house Kazuma could hear the frantic rose and fall of the Kannagi's trying to figure out what to do. His sensitive ears also picked up talking of having a new heir named, passing Enraiha onto a more worthy heir. Ren's name came up in whispers, along with a few ambitious parents injecting their own children. Jugo was in the middle of it all, trying to keep tempers down and fights from breaking out while also trying to make the group focus on helping his daughter while she was still alive. Greed and opportunity were whittling away at the clan. But Ayano stood in the garden. She wasn't offering opinions. She wasn't even being comforted. She was alone.

Without conscious thought, Kazuma lifted a hand and directed the wind to glide through her hair softly, almost like a caress he dreamed of ghosting along her soft as sin skin. The girl - young woman, truly - started, then lifted her eyes upward.

"Kazuma." She spoke his name and it was a sirens call he could not ignore. He flew down and landed, masking his power so those inside wouldn't sense him.

"What's up, princess?" He asked as he walked to her side. She sighed, lifting a hand to rub her forehand. In her other hand she clutched Enraiha. Her shivering had settled to small shakes and her color, though pale, wasn't blue. She was stable, for now.

"Father and the family elders are all arguing about what to do for me. But they told me to go rest and sent me off to my room like I'm a little girl!" She snapped, anger making her voice crackel with some of her usual spunk. "I'm not a helpless child! I can fight and help find a solution, too!" But then she looked at her hands and wilted. "But... What can I do, without my fire?"

"Magic isn't your most defining attribute, princess. Plenty of people get by without it every single day and are still capable humans. I know the Kannagi's are obsessed with power but it isn't everything, trust me." Kazuma said, feeling sympathetic towards the girl for the first time. He knew the helplessness of having no power among these extraordinarily gifted people. In Ayano's case, that feeling was probably worse: she's had the power all her life and now it's gone. The heiress turned and looked at him, face hard.

"Do you have any idea how to fix this? You've traveled more than my family members so maybe you've heard something?" She asked, eyes earnest. That she trusted him more than even her family made it hard for him to draw air into his lungs. Did she realize what she was saying. He searched for the answer in her eyes and found only the incredible innocence which attracted him so deeply. No, she did not. He could read it in her incredible eyes. She's far too pure for someone like him... Kazuma looked away.

Should he tell her? What if he raise her hope only to fail? He opened his mouth, determined to lie. "I think the Spirit King of Wind may be able to help." Her eyes widened and she reached out, clutching his jacket in her hand.

"Seriously? Then, let's go find him." Ayano's eyes sparkled at the prospect but Kazuma just shook his head.

"No way. You'd just slow me down without your magic. Besides, you're not well." Ayano put her hands on her hips, glaring at him. At least her looks hadn't lost any of their heat.

"That's mean! It's my body that needs fixed so I should be taken on all quests to fix it so I can be cured right away. And I can still fight even without my flames. Enraiha is a holy weapon. It'll slay low level yoma even without my power. And... As long as I'm holding it, the pain isn't as bad." The last words were whispered but Kazuma heard them. Jugo had said that Ayano shouldn't let go of Enraiha because it was dangerous to her. What did he know that Kazuma didn't?

Ayano lifted her chin. "Take me with you, Kazuma! We'll go get me fixed then go teach Bernhardt whose boss. It'll be a piece of cake!" She said, sounding overly confident, per usual. The wind Mage sighed. The Kannagi inside the house weren't going to help Ayano by debating. They would all want to charge in and save the day, but wouldn't be able to agree on a plan. Too many hotheads in one place, as it were. Jugo was trying, but he was terrified by the thought of losing Ayano, and he seemed held back by some knowledge he wasn't willing to share. There were also opportunists among the family who would use Ayano's loss of power as a reason to instate a new heir, probably one from their family. Ayano needed to be treated and fast, so it made sense to take her along with him.

Ignoring the little voice in his head saying that he was being selfish and opportunistic, Kazuma nodded. "Alright, partner, you win. But, because you're without your flames, you'll have to do as I say." Kazuma said, trying not to think of how many ways he could take advantage the situation. Ayano smirked at him, somehow still able to be her usual defiant self despite the pain and fear she had to be feeling.

"Not on your life, creep." She said, stepping into his arms readily. Chuckling, Kazuma wrapped his arms around her as they both rose into the air, body drinking in the feel of her soft curves against his frame. If he was able to heal Ayano, then maybe he could patch things up with Ren? Kazuma could care less about his old man or the other Kannagi but he didn't want his little brother to hate him. The little twerp was important to him, and Kazuma had to admit he liked being looked up to so much by the short blond very thought that he may have hurt Ren deeply, let him down in some way, made Kazuma almost want to apologize. Almost. But he was going to find a way to make his brother smile at him again, if he did nothing else. The rest of the world could hate him, the Kannagi's could curse him, he didn't care. All he needed was Ren and the woman in his arms. Turning towards his hotel suite, Kazuma breathed deeply the fresh scent of Ayano's hair as it tangled around him like a net in the air.

"Alright, princess. Let's go."


	7. Chapter 7

It's not the first time I've been to Kazuma's expensive, way too nice and snooty hotel suite. Ren's been here more, because duh, but I've walked him here a couple times. I've actually been here a few times by myself, too, mostly to wake the incredibly lazy wind mage for a mission we had to do together. Or to try and coerce him into helping me on one of my more difficult missions. That generally didn't work too well. Like I said, he's a lazy... and a pervert. Because I've discovered by barging into his room to dump water on him that he sleeps in his boxers.

Faint heat climbed up my pale cheeks as I stood by the window, staring out at the city below. Despite how annoying, egotistical, money hungry, and perverted he can be... Kazuma's got a nice body. He's slim but very strong, with muscles that came from hard work and practice. Of course, he's also got scars. His hard life after being kicked out by Cousin Genma is written across his skin, but it adds a certain rakish quality to his appearance which is appealing. I shook my head hard and reached up, slapping my cheeks.

What are you thinking about, brain? Stop it with all this Kazuma stuff. I groaned and ground my palms against my eyes. Why was he on my mind all the time? Even though this isn't my first time here, even though I've seen him many times before in various states of undress because of that, I'm jittery. Why am I jittery? Is it because he's actually willingly helping me, which is totally out of character? I don't think that's it. What's my problem, self? It's just Kazuma. The annoying, perverted one. I blew out a breath. Focus.

"Hey, princess! Do me a favor and help me pack this bag!" I turned at Kazuma's call and about ate a duffle bag. Slapping the canvas bag down before it hit me in the face, I glowered at the man smirking at me from the doorway of his bedroom. "Nice catch." He said, ruffling his hair as he sat down on the leather couch. I glared at him, but wasn't able to generate much heat. He was helping me, after all. And Father wasn't even paying him this time. I wonder why?

In truth, Kazuma was being almost nice to me, which was starting to freak me out. He'd been the one to seek me out in the koi garden when everyone else just told me to go to my room, brushing me off. He'd mentioned a possible course of action. Of course, I'd forcibly made him take me along, but he'd agreed in the end. It had even been his idea to go to his suite in order to prepare for our trip, since we didn't know how long it was going to take, but the more we delayed, the more worried I became that Father was going to track me down. I know he was going to be furious that I'd run off like this, even if it was with Kazuma.

Right on cue, my phone chirped. I whipped it out from my pocket and felt my heart sinking. Seeing my face, Kazuma stood and walked up beside me, staring down at the number blinking on the screen. "Jugo, huh? Might as well answer it. Preferably before he comes looking for me and burns this building down." He said, briefly patting my shoulder. The heat of such a brief contact seared me, a painful reminded that I had lost my power; Kazuma should not feel warm to me. He's always been slightly cool to the touch but not now. I swallowed against the painful reminder. Don't worry about it, Ayano. You'll find a cure.

Air whistling out of my lungs, I answered the call. "Hi, this is Ayano speaking!" I chirped, trying to be cheerful so that maybe, hopefully, Father wouldn't be too angry at me. Please?

"Ayano Kannagi!" The below from the phone was so loud that I yanked the device away from my head, ear ringing. Okay. He was mad. "Where have you gone without telling me? Get back here right now, Ayano! You're in terrible danger!"

"Yeah, I know. But I'm not the type of person to just sit around while others do things for me. As the future head of the Kannagi Family, I should -" Before I could say my piece, Father cut me off. Okay, not mad. Furious. I could hear the crackle of heat in his voice.

"You won't live to be the next head if you don't come back home, Ayano! There's more going on here than just Bernhardt plotting and your power being gone. Come home. Now." He ordered, in the tone of voice that reminded me he wasn't just my dad. He was also the head of the Kannagi Family. That's who I was talking to right now. Not Father. Jugo Kannagi. I clenched my hands. He was pulling rank on me!? My anger bubbled high inside me, causing a brief flicker of heat in my core, until that cursed cold flared out again.

"No." I whispered, shivering as that cursed icey lance of pain shot from my arm towards my heart again, a faint echo of the agony throbbing up from my leg as well. "Sorry, Father, but I just can't sit this one out. You want me to be the next Kannagi Head, but you don't let me do anything by myself. Well, I'm tired of it. I'm going to fix this on my own. I'll return home when I'm finished, and when I do, I'll have all my power back. You'll see."

"You're tempting fate, Ayano. Please, come home. We all want to help you. Let us; you mean so much to the family, and to me." Father switched tactics on me, but I gnawed my lip and shook my head. It usually worked when he used the family as a reason, but this time I can't back down. I'm fighting for my life here. I don't know why, but if I go back... I've got a feeling that I'll die. Stand firm, Ayano.

"I won't! You can yell at me when I come back, but I feel like if I don't do this on my own, any right I have to be the next head of the family will disappear. A leader who can't face her own problems herself is no leader at all. Please understand that, Father! I've got to do this." I said, clutching Enriaha tighter against my chest. The sword was warm in my hands, chasing the chill invading me away, just a little.

A heavy sigh gusted in my ear. "... Ayano, what can you do alone? Without your flames, you can't fight." The words cut me to the very core, and the phone slipped in my hands. What was Father saying? Does he think that, without fire, I'm nothing? My martial arts training and sword skills don't matter, if I can't back them up with flames? All those years of work and commitment, gone because I was no longer a fire magic user? Tears built in my eyes, but I didn't let them fall. He doesn't mean it that way, Ayano. It's just I'm not as strong without my flames, right? That's all he's trying to say. I desperately tried to convince myself.

The phone was plucked from my weak grasp. "Hey, Jugo. She's not alone, and she's not weak. Don't worry about the princess. I'll take care of her. You just make sure nothing else happens while I'm gone. If Bernhardt can't get Ayano he may go after Ren. Tell the old man to watch himself, too." Kazuma hung up and handed the phone back to me, patting me on top of my head like he was comforting a child.

"Don't let what he said hurt you so much. He didn't mean that you're not strong. Jugo's just a little over protective of you." His words were soft, the tough soothing. Kazuma knew what I was feeling, I guess. I was so little back when he was chased out of the family, and I'd never spent much time away from father or my training, so I never got a chance to see what he went through, but my father had to have known. I've always wondered... was he one of the people who thought Kazuma was worthless because he couldn't use fire magic? I've always thought not, but after hearing that... I'm not so certain. Father is gracious and even tried to fix the problems between the Kanangi and Fuga clans, but maybe, deep down, he was still convinced that fire magic was the strongest, the best? Up until now... guilt and shame covered me. I'd been thinking that way until recently, too. I'm a horrible person...

"Hey, princess?" Kazuma tried to turn me to face him as I continued to shake, suppressing my emotions back with everything I have.

I whirled around so my back was to him. For some reason, I don't want to show Kazuma any weakness. Probably because he's so strong, and made a life for himself outside the clan and our powers. Because I admire and respect him... though, I'll never, ever let him know. Arrogant perverted playboy.

"I know that without you telling me." I snapped, swallowing hard. "We'd better hurry up and leave, though. If Father knows I'm here with you he may send someone to get me back. He's really worked up about me staying home." Hey, understatement of the century, self!

Kazuma sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I've got a few things packed, but you've only got Enraiha and what you're wearing. We'll have to stop somewhere to pick you up a change of clothes at least. But we'll do that once we're out of the city." He said, draping a jacket over my shoulders. The scent of wind and his cologne, subtle and clean, wafted up from the heavy material. "Put that on. We're traveling Air Yagami, so I don't want you to freeze."

I slipped my arms into the sleeves, shocked by how baggy the jacket was on me. Kazuma didn't seem that much taller than me when we were fighting, but now that I think about it, he is a far amount bigger than me. My hands didn't even reach the end of the sleeves. But, it's warm. I felt my painful emotions ebbing away and a soothing calm settling over me. Even the icy pick eating at my body became a more bearable pain as I wrapped the jacket tighter about my body.

"Air Yagami? Where are we going?" I asked, watching as he picked up the packed duffled and shoved the empty bag inside it. Kazuma glanced over at me,his beautifully expressive eyes filled with mischief.

"Well, the pixie king deals with the Spirit King in person, so we will start with him. But to be honest, I'm not expecting much. I met the Spirit King overseas, so we'll likely end up flying abroad. Is your passport up to date?" He said. My mouth fell open.

"P-passport? It's at home, you stupid idiot! Along with my clothes and supplies and things, and... don't you dare laugh at me, Kazuma!" I snapped when the wind mage started chuckling at my blustering. Instead of shutting up, seeing me glowering at him while swamped in his jacket seemed to strike him as funny and he turned away, shoulders shaking. "KA-ZU-MAAA!"

Yelling, I struck out with my infamous and completely infallible (unless it's directed at my stupid cousin) high kick. As expected, Kazuma blocked it, grabbing my ankle as he turned. Unfortunately, it was my right ankle. I let out a pained gasp and lost my balance, starting to fall.

"Whoa!" He caught me, then carried me over to the couch and set me down. My cheeks heated, the first actual warmth I'd felt in my own body for a few hours. But when Kazuma's hands slid down my leg, I shrieked and jerked away from him, heart thumping against my breast.

"W-w-w-what do you think you're doing? Pervert! Molester!" I pointed at him and waved Enraiha in his general direction. He leveled a look at me, which had me subsiding into mutters as he picked my foot up and knelt in front of the couch.

"This looks pretty nasty. What'd you do to it?" He asked, fingers surprisingly gentle as they prodded at the tender, swollen flesh. I winced and jerked my foot back, pulling the ends of his coat down so that I could cover my legs. I didn't want him looking at them. The right was cut pretty badly, and the ankle incredibly swollen. And my left leg had that creepy twisting bruise crawling up towards my thigh. For some reason, I just don't want Kazuma looking at the injuries. And I don't know why.

"Ayano." I looked up at my name, a little shocked. Kazuma doesn't call me by my first name very often. Usually it's Princess, or idiot, something like that. But I prefer that because when he did use my name, my heart felt like a trapped bird in my chest. And I don't like that. "What happened to your foot?"

I huffed at him, drawing my attitude around me like a shield against his concern. He seriously needs to stop be nice to me, because I can't handle this out of character niceness of his. "Twisted it. Nothing big. Shouldn't we get going?" I said. Kazuma's eyes searched mine, then he dropped my foot and stood, shouldering the duffel bag before returning to the couch, holding out a hand.

Reaching up, I took it, and Kazuma pulled me into his chest. My heart stuttered as I pressed against him. Even through his light jacket, I could feel the muscles shifting as he blew open the balcony doors and flew us outside. The vision of him sprawled in his sheets that morning I woke him up at the beach danced through my head. Stop it, brain! Seriously! I closed my eyes and pressed my face tighter against Kazuma. His arm tightened around me subconsciously as we rose higher.

The air grew colder, nipping at my nose. Strangely, though, that cold wasn't as painful as what was growing inside of me. It was actually kind of refreshing. It took my mind off bigger problems. Like my flame. And Kazuma. Definitely Kazuma.

Lifting my face, I stared at the clouds as they zipped by. Kazuma was flying faster than he usually did when carrying me, but I wasn't scared. He's not going to drop me. And it's beautiful. I could see the city stretching out below me, a twinkling expanse of glass, metal and life. I sighed. "It's so beautiful up here." I whispered.

"Yeah, and it's mine alone." Kazuma answered, surprising me. I hadn't thought he'd heard me. I drew a little away from him, so I could see his face. He glanced down at me. "But, I like it." Yeah, typical Kazuma there... however, his face looked a little sad. Was Kazuma lonely? That can't be possible. He's got Detective Tachibana and many other older women, so how can he be lonely? Still...

"Ren would like to see this. He loves spending time with you, Kazuma. He really looks up to you." I pointed out. Even if it was just with Ren, I really want Kazuma to patch up his relationship with his family. Cousin Genma really worries about his oldest son, but he isn't exactly the most honest man with his emotions, so he's got everyone convinced that he doesn't care. Maybe if Ren and Kazuma become like real brother's again, then Cousin Genma could... no. A reconciliation between those two is never gonna happen.

A sigh gusted out of my chest at the same time Kazuma heaved one. He raised an eyebrow at me. "What do you have to be sighing so heavily about?" He asked. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Oh, I don't know. What could possibly be bothering me?" I asked in my most innocent and sincere voice. Seriously, it was a stupid question to ask me. Now, him, on the other hand..."What about you?"

"Don't worry about it, princess. Nothing's wrong." Kazuma shrugged, like he didn't care. His jaw was tight, though.

Concern filled me. Something had happened while I was with Father at the house, and I'd bet anything it involved Ren and Cousin Genma. Those two were generally the only ones who could get a response out of Kazuma. Ren idolizes his big brother, especially now that they've finally gotten the chance to be siblings again. It had allowed the boy to start realizing his own power, and to rebel a little against Cousin Genma - which I personally see as a good thing. Thank goodness my father isn't as strict as him... And Kazuma needed his relationship with Ren, too. It was part of what allowed him to move on from the anger and pain he was trapped in after Tsui-Ling's death. To take that away from both of them...

"What happened?"

Kazuma shook his head, mouth pressing together. I sighed. Should have seen that coming, Ayano. Kazuma was never, ever going to willingly open up to me. If something happens, he'll brood darkly, glower at me, treat me like a child, and then maybe eventually go black wind mage, but he'll never tell me anything.

Maybe he still thinks I'm a child. 'Well, you did go get yourself kidnapped and then magic-zapped when you tried to handle Bernhardt on your own' Telling the little voice in my head to shut up, I dropped the conversation and just stared at the beauty surrounding us. Maybe it's because I'm always rushing around trying to destroy yoma (which I'm very good at, thank you) or study so that I don't completely fail at my tests (not very good at that part), but I've never stopped to just look at the beauty that is the in the sky. The sun was setting, casting fiery red and orange hues out across the clouds. I unhooked my arms from around Kazuma, reaching towards the burning orb.

"You know, when I was little, I used to think I could catch the sun in my hands. I was always trying to climb as high as I could, so that I would be able to reach up and pull it down." I told him, closing my fist over the distant image.

"That sounds like an Ayano thing to do." He said, laughter dancing in his voice. I pouted. So maybe it wasn't very smart, but I was just trying to talk about something so we didn't have to deal with one of those heavy awkward silences we were forever ending up in. "Didn't you realize that you can't hold the sun? Stupid."

"Hey! I was five!" I snapped, trying to defend myself. Note: Do not bring up sappy childhood stories with Kazuma; he lacks the human capacity to understand them.

"Even a baby knows better than that, Princess. You're just dumb. And you never think." Kazuma shot back, knocking me lightly on the head with his knuckles. "You've got nothing but fluff up here, after all."

"Fluff? How can you say that? I've totally kicked your ass before, too! And, and I figured this whole Bernhardt thing before you and -" I stopped abruptly, feeling the tension suddenly lock up the arms holding me. Oh. Right. I'm an idiot.

"Yes, and instead of telling me or your father, you went and got yourself kidnapped - like an idiot. Which is now why we are trying to locate one of the most powerful beings on the planet right now, to see if he can grant us a boon to cure the result of your sheer dumbness." Kazuma said tightly, shaking his head.

"It's not all my fault. How was I supposed to know that a yoma who ate spirit energy was going to show up?" I muttered.

"Wait, what?" Kazuma suddenly stopped flying, holding me by the waist with one arm so he could tip my chin up with his other hand. "A yoma stole your spirit energy? Not Bernhardt?" He asked. I rolled my eyes, trying to ignore how my heart fluttered at his touch, and at how close our faces were. Be cool, Ayano, be cool...

"Yes, that's what I said."Chill as ice, girl... Good job!

"Tell me these kinds of things sooner!" He snapped, tugging the hair at my temple hard.

"Ooooouch! Kazuma, what the heck!?" I shrieked, pulling my hair free of his grasp and shoving my hand at his face. He grabbed my hand and forced it down, staring hard at me as he thought. I tried to pull free, but he's strong and in the position that we were in, I couldn't get enough leverage to get free. If only I had my flames, I could burn him! Grrr... The cold in my chest stabbed, a reminder of what was missing.

"What is the problem?" Kazuma didn't respond to my words, turning to stare off into the distance instead. The heat of anger flaring up higher inside, I jabbed my elbow into his chest. He grunted and looked me in the eyes, finally. "Tell me, already, Kazuma!" I snapped.

With a deep sigh, the wind mage started flying again. "I thought you under a curse from Bernhardt, which is difficult enough to untangle. From a yoma, this problem will be even harder to fix. Your spirits have been devoured, instead of just removed."

Is it even possible to remove a person's spirits? From the way he talks, I'll have to guess so. But what concerns me more... "Devoured? As in, totally destroyed? Can't I just recharge like I always do?" I asked, even as a small shiver ran through me.

Kazuma shook his head. "Your inner flame, where you house your energy to fight, has been taken. There is no way to restore that. At least, not a way that any mortal possesses. So that's why we have to seek more supernatural assistance."

"So the Spirit King of Wind will be able to help me?"

"That I do not know, princess, but we are going to find out." Kazuma sighed, and tightened his grip on me. "And I intend to be hard on him, too."

Um, call me crazy, but if you're asking a favor of someone isn't generally better to ask nicely and not badger? I'm flattered that Kazuma the arrogant pervert is willing to smash some Spirit King head in order to help me out, but that just seems like a bad attitude to adopt. Especially when dealing with the beings who control the elements in our world. I've never met a Spirit King before, but shouldn't they be treated with complete reverence?

Kazuma started to descend, so I flicked my gaze to the ground below us. It never scared me to be up so high, not when I was with Kazuma, but still, seeing the land rising quickly did take some getting used to. We were over a small tow, much smaller than the city. Kazuma landed on the outskirts of the town and let me step free of his arms. I pulled the jacket closer about my shoulders as I looked around at the rural area. It's cold...

I've been to small towns before for exorcisms, but this was super rural. No traffic lights on the dirt road, a few houses, a tiny store which sold amenities, food, and apparently also doubled as a local boutique from the sign on the window... "The pixie king is here?" I asked Kazuma, turning around to look at him. His arrogant smirk flashed and his shook his head, pointing over his shoulder to the mountains looming behind the town.

"Nope. Up there. But you need clothes, right? Or are you going to wear your school uniform and my jacket the whole time?" He asked, leering at me. "Don't get me wrong, I enjoy when you kick wearing a skirt, but for mountain climbing, maybe you should invest in some pants."His suggestion was followed with a light slap on my rear, making me jump forward with a strangled squeak.

"Pervert!" I snapped, turning on my heel and marching to the store. Inside, the bleary eyed clerk blinked at me as I stormed to the discount racks and started yanking articles off their hangers. "Hey! Where's the dressing room?" I demanded, whirling around to face the man. He laughed at me.

"Dressing room? Miss, this here's a small town. We don't have anything like that." He said, a look coming to his eyes. "But, if ya have to try them pants on, you can use the corner over their. I won't let anyone peek." He pointed to a dark part of the store. I gnawed on my lip. That sounded almost indecent, but I didn't want to buy clothes that didn't fit. My sense of fashion just wouldn't let that fly. If he says he won't let anyone look, then I guess I can take him up on the offer. The air stirred just slightly around me as I turned to go change in the corner of the store.

"Hey." The clerk's face paled when Kazuma walked up behind me, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Grab some clothes already, princess. I'm not getting any younger waiting around for you. No one but me is going to see you in them anyway, so it doesn't matter what they look like." I blushed and jerked my shoulder away, slamming the clothes down onto the checkout.

I reached for my wallet only to realize that I didn't have my purse or anything. I'd left it all at home when I'd headed out with Kazuma earlier. If I wanted new clothes, I was going to have to ask Kazuma to buy them for me. But... I can't! He'll make fun of me, and what's more, I'll owe him. I can't stand the thought of being in debt to Kazuma of all people. I bet in repayment he'll make me do something super embarrassing...

While I spun the options around in my head, making myself dizzy trying to figure out a way to get the clothes without relying on Kazuma, the wind magic user sighed and pulled his wallet out, paying for them without my having to ask. I blinked at him, stunned.

"Kazuma... are you sick?" I asked, reaching up and resting my hand against his forehead. Right now, his skin felt rather warm to me, but then again, everything was warm since I was so cold. So I couldn't tell for certain if he had a fever or not, but he has to have one. I mean, he's being nice to me, and that's just creepy.

Scowling, Kazuma knocked my hand away and shoved the bags into my arms. "No, I just don't want to listen to you whine later on. Walk." He ordered, giving me a small push towards the exit. Huffing out a breath, I lead the march out, stepping into the falling twilight and turning towards the cluster of houses. My shoulder was grabbed, stopping me once again. "Where are you going now?"

"To find lodgings? We can't find a pixie on a the mountains at night. Besides, I need a hot bath. And a bed. I've had too much excitement today." I said, making him sigh and shake his head.

"Seriously, I'm starting to think the Kannagi Clan is in danger with you as the heir. Use your head, Princess. This town is tiny. There isn't a hotel here." He said, knocking his knuckles lightly against my forehead. My mouth flopped open. So that means we were going to have to rough it?

Camping out? Here? In the mountains? I've had my fair share of mountain adventures before, but that's always been when I could count on my fire. Now, looking at the deep darkness descending around us, I felt scared. It was wild and untamed, and my power was gone. My flames wouldn't be there to protect me.

A shiver worked it's way up my spine and I shuddered, clutching the blanket tighter to my neck. Kazuma sighed and grabbed my waist, lifting us up into the air again before I was ready. Shrieking, I clung to him. "A warning would be appreciated!" My voice came out high and thin. As usual, he ignored me and instead seemed to be looking for something in the dense shadows below.

Then, without warning - again! - he shot downward. I yelped and buried my face in his shoulder, unable to handle the sudden acceleration. Then, we slowed and he stopped. I cracked open an eye and saw we were on the ground once more. My eyes narrowing, I looked up at Kazuma and felt my eyebrow twitch at the smirk stretching across his face. "You're doing that on purpose." I stated.

He shrugged. "Yeah. I'm not going to let up a chance to have a beautiful woman plastered against me. I am a guy, after all." He said, making my top about blow. I opened my mouth but he turned and beckoned me. "Come on! You said you wanted a bath, right?"

Only then did I notice. This wasn't some random place we were at. There was concrete under my feet and a beautiful traditional villa in front of us. A sign next to me read 'Onsen, Spa, and Inn.' The scent of soothing hot water filled my nose. This was a hot spring resort!

"Hey, Kazuma! You said that the town didn't have a hotel!" I snapped, stomping after him. He opened the door for me and ushered me into the comfortably traditional interior. The sliding paper doors and attendants in kimonos almost made me feel I was back at home with Father and Ren. Almost.

"And it doesn't have a hotel. I never said it didn't have a hot spring, though." He said, as annoying as ever. Smiling, he patted me on the head. "Don't think about the semantics of language too much, princess. It might make strain you. Stay put. I'll get us a room." I pouted as he walked over to the hostess, smiling graciously. The woman blushed, obviously charmed.

'Don't fall for that look, lady. He's a pervert and a playboy.' But she just fluttered her eyes and leaned forward, trying to display her cleavage to the best advantage. Kazuma didn't seem too interested, though. Now that I think about it, he really didn't seem to be attracted to huge busts like Catherine or Detective Tachibana's. I mean, he never sexually harassed them. Of course, that might be because he respects them a lot more than me, though.

Wait, what had he said earlier? I'm not going to let up a chance to have a beautiful woman plastered against me. My eyes widened. Me? He was talking about me? Did Kazuma think I was beautiful? My cheeks started to burn and my heart began to thump against my ribs, pounding so hard it almost hurt. That... that can't be what he said. I must have heard it wrong. Kazuma isn't the least bit moved by my extraordinary beauty and grace. Was he?

If... if Kazuma did think I was pretty, what was I going to do? He hates my clan and everything we stand for. Most times we can barely spend more than a few minutes together without arguing. Even now I wouldn't say we were getting along all that well. The two of us are simply too different, too strong, to mesh well together.

My shoulders slumped. All this thinking was too much. And why do I even care what type of women Kazuma likes or if we'd get along well anyway? I need to be worrying about myself here. Once we find the pixie king and get the Spirit King of Wind to help me out, I'm going to go teach that masked maniac a lesson or three about the Kannagi's! Then... I guess I'll be grounded for the rest of eternity for disobeying Father.

I slouched forward farther. This day just can't get any worse, can it?

"Sorry, princess, but they've only got one room left, so we're going to have to share." Kazuma smiled as he came back over, swinging the keys on his fingers. Letting out a huge sigh, I let the bag fall from my arms and I almost touched the floor with my defeated stance.

Guess I spoke too soon... What more will this day throw at me? Bernhardt, yoma, kidnapping, nice Kazuma... at this point, I don't think anything would surprise me. I looked up through my hair at the wind mage. "Lead the way. I seriously need that bath." I muttered, following him down the hallway to our shared room.

Once we were inside, I didn't go to look at our view or anything, I just dropped the bag and the jacket by the door and headed for the bathroom. I needed a hot shower and a long soak to rinse away the stress of today. Before I got very far, though, Kazuma grabbed my arm, grip painful. I rolled my eyes and him and tried to pull away.

"Let go, I want to go take a bath." I told him, impatient. Instead of answering me, Kazuma stared at my arm. What was so interesting about it?

Glancing down, I felt my stomach turn. The bruise on my skin appeared darker than before, and some of the swirls had reached up higher than before, disappearing under my clothes. Some of the darkness was even visible on the back of my hand, a lazy swirl sliding down over to my index finger almost artistically. Was it spreading? The skin under the mark was extra cold, feeling rubber and false to my fingers. What is going on with me? I don't like this! Don't think about it, Ayano. You're going to get fixed and it won't matter. Swallowing hard, I tried to pull away.

Instead of letting me go, Kazuma yanked me closer and slipped a hand inside my uniform, popping the buttons as he yanked the blue coat down. "What are you doing?!" I yelled, starting to get a little frightened by the intensity in his eyes.

He yanked the blazer off and dropped it to the floor, leaving me in just my white camisole underneath. Finally, he froze, unmoving, gaze locked on my shoulder. I didn't even look. I knew what he was seeing, if the state of my left forearm was any indication. The bruise was spreading, and with it that chill which was threatening my very life. But I didn't care. Kazuma's eyes scared me as he focused on the mark, not blinking. They were... they were like when he remembered about his past with Tsui-Ling, when his failures were riding him hard. I was making him look like that. And I didn't ever want to be the reason he had to look at me that way.

"Kazuma! Let me go, Kazuma!" I yelled, punching him hard. His hands released so suddenly that I fell to the floor, startled. Before he could help me up, before he could really say or do anything, I kicked him right in the gut. Amazingly, my attack got through, making him grunt and fall over, clutching his middle. "Idiot! Pervert! I hope you die!" I snapped, appalled when my voice cracked. Turning before he could see the tears building in my eyes, I ran into the bathroom and locked the door.

Tossing my clothes over the mirror so I wouldn't be able to see the marks on my body, I stepped up to the shower head and turned it on full blast, as hot as it could go. Even so, I still trembled, arms wrapped around my middle. The cold wasn't going away.

I tried to pretend that the water rolling down my face was just from the nozzle overhead.


	8. Chapter 8

-Note: Shorter chapter, but since there's some pretty important information in it, I figured the less you have to swallow, the easier it will be to understand. So please enjoy this scintillating chapter! -

The pain in Kazuma's body from Ayano's surprisingly strong kick barely registered._ 'It's spreading... that bruise is spreading.'_ What did it mean? When he'd first rescued Ayano, the mark had been on her forearm and calf, small. Just dark smudges that looked like something had grabbed her hard while she struggled, nothing to be too upset about despite their strange color. But now it was stretching up and down her arm and leg, seeming to grow larger and darker as more time passed. Did it have something to do with what happened to her energy?

Kazuma's hands curled into fists as he remained on the floor of the inn. The area around him crackled with energy, some sparks of electricity appearing in the air. How dare someone mark Ayano's skin like that? The sight of the hideous mark creeping up her beautiful white arm and leg made him want to punch and maim someone. It had felt like dead flesh under his fingers, even though he could feel the rush of blood and oxygen underneath. It was not the soft warm flesh he was used to stealing caresses from, because no spirit energy had inhabited the areas covered by the mark. And for a magic user, that was tantamount to death anyway.

"Dammit!" Kazuma punched the floor and stood, staring at his palm. Ayano... her skin had been silk under his hands. The sensation still lingered, as it always did whenever he touched her bare skin. That was why he tried to minimize skin on skin contact with her. When he had ripped her uniform off, he'd only wanted to see the progression of the mark on her body and hadn't cared about maintaining his distance. Along with the bruises, though, he'd also seen Ayano's body.

For a teenage girl, she was rather well built. She wasn't stacked with much fat despite her penchant for sweets, just carrying a slight softness around her chest and hips. Her bust was the perfect size for her slight frame; any larger and she would not be able to fight as well as she does, and Kazuma loved watching her sleek motions when she swung the Enraiha at her enemies or him. Ayano was slender and strong from her martial arts training. She had the type of body he loved the most, the kind that could hold him close for comfort, yet also challenge him physically. Sometimes, he provoked her on purpose just to see those long legs of her kick at him.

_'She's sixteen, Kazuma; don't do anything illegal.'_ Shaking his head, Kazuma walked over to the window to stare out at the garden stretching around the inn. He shouldn't even be thinking about that! Until she's saved, fantasies can wait, but he was finding it harder and harder to control himself around her. Something about Ayano always drew him, but now it appeared as though his ability to resist the girl was gone. Was it because she was hurt so badly?

Twice he's slipped up already, once when he flew her to this inn and admitted he thought her beautiful - though, thankfully, the naive girl hadn't noticed. Maybe it was because this was the first time he's had so much contact with Ayano, uninterrupted by missions or fighting, or even Ren. Never before has he been allowed to hold her close for so long, until that unique firewood and cake scent of her was imprinted onto his clothing.

His hands clenched by his sides. He didn't deserve her at all. "I made her cry." He muttered, hating himself. It had been driven by concern, his actions, but even he could see that they were boorish. She was trying to forget about what had happened to her, had been doing a pretty good job of it, and then he'd gone and dragged her attention to the evidence of her loss again. She's right. He is a totally cad.

"I need to find that flaky Spirit King as soon as possible." Kazuma said, opening the sliding door separating the room from the garden and stepping out onto the small sitting area right outside their room. The air was clean and fresh, the type which normally calmed him down, but he barely noticed it tonight.

Right now, all his senses were locked on the sound of the water running in the bathroom. Automatically, he reached out with his senses to try and gauge how she was doing by the activity level in her spirits, but touched only emptiness. It scared him. Normally Ayano was overflowing with so much power and energy that she was a constant hum on the edge of his mind, but now, unless she was right in front of him, he couldn't feel her at all. Almost like she was gone.

His heart stuttered. _'No!'_ Shoving his hands into his pockets, Kazuma turned his back on the room and stared up at the stars. She is alive and with him right now. He wasn't going to rest until he'd found out how to keep her that way. Thinking anything else wasn't an option. He wouldn't survive any other outcome.

_**"So dramatic. Although, in your case, that might very well be true. You are rather attached to her."**_ Kazuma jerked, surprised, when a deep and suave voice came out of nowhere. He hadn't sensed anyone. Turning, he looked for the speaking. Sitting in the chair by the desk in the room was a familiar white haired man, buffing his nails with a file. **_"Yo. Long time no see, my Contractor."_** The Spirit King of Wind smiled at the wind mage.

Kazuma sighed and shook his head. "I want to be shocked, I really do, but I just can't summon the energy." He said, walking back into the room. "How'd you know I needed you?" He asked. The spirit snorted and vanished his file, standing and walking over to the smaller man.

_**"Please. I'm the Spirit King of Wind, Kazuma. I can use the wind in ways you can't even imagine. And I also happen to keep a close eye on my Contractor."**_ The man reached out and brushed his hand against Kazuma's chest, the touch sending electricity jolting through him. Like the last time, his ears felt like they were being pushed against and the Spirit King's voice came from a vast distance and very close at the same time. The very air buzzed with such energy that the hair on his arms stood up. Shaking himself, Kazuma stepped back.

The Spirit King smiled. **_"So I am aware of your need. I would have come to you sooner, but I needed to check on something else first. But I'm here now. And so..."_** Voice trailing off ominously, the spirit turned and walked over to the bathroom. Before Kazuma could react, the man had opened the door and stepped inside.

"Kazuma, what the - WHO THE HECK ARE YOU?! Get OUT, Pervert!" Ayano's yell was loud enough to be heard outside. The Spirit King of Wind fell back out of the bathroom, a foot imprint on his face and a volley of bottles coming after him. A loofa landed on his head before the door slammed shut with enough force to shake the walls. Plucking the sponge off his head, the Spirit King started to laugh.

_**"Oh, I like her."**_ He said, looking back over his shoulder as Kazuma walked over to him.**_ "Can I ha-"_** The man's voice cut off as Kazuma's foot slammed down into his gut, sending the breath gusting out of the spirit.

"What the hell!? Ayano is female despite her actions sometimes! Even I know better than to walk in on a woman's bath!" He yelled, kicking the laughing spirit again while trying to convince himself that he was incensed because Ayano had been peeked on, not because he hadn't been the one to see her. He was marginally successful.

_**"I needed to see what had been done to her. She isn't going to strip if I tell her to, so I peeked instead."** _The Spirit King rubbed where he'd been kicked and stood. Kazuma glared at him but stepped away.

The bathroom door flew open and Ayano stormed out in a robe. Seeing Kazuma, she stomped over and grabbed his collar, pulling him down so she could glare directly into his eyes.

"What the heck kind of useless bodyguard are you, Kazuma?! Some white haired creep just ogled me in the shower!" She snapped, face flushed with hear that probably wasn't from the water. Letting out a sigh, Kazuma reached up and unhooked the girl's hands from his clothes, turning her around so she could see the Spirit King standing behind her.

"Meet the Spirit King of Wind, princess." He said, gritting his teeth as the taller man winked at the girl. "He's apparently come here to help us out."

Ayano blinked at the Spirit King, then turned to Kazuma, pointing at the controller of winds. "That's the Spirit King of Wind? A pervert? No wonder you're his Contractor..." She trailed off and cast a dubious look over the spirit again, walking over and looking him up and down. The vain man practically preened. "Are you sure he can help?" She finished, crossing her arms under her breasts and cocking out one hip as she watched the two wind users.

The Spirit King whistled and danced away from Kazuma's punch to sit in the chair he'd occupied upon first arriving. **_"I'm a Spirit King. There are very few things I can't do. But this will be difficult."_**

"What? Why? Can't you just wave a hand and return my flames to me?" Ayano burst out, clutching at the neck of her robe. Kazuma noted the tremor shaking her frame. Was she cold, or were her emotions getting the better of her? If he were to guess, it was both.

**_"Because I'm the Spirit King of Wind, Kannagi Heir. If Kazuma had lost his wind, I could return it easily, but fire is outside my domain."_** The Spirit King pointed out. It made logical sense. One element is always weak to another and so the Spirit Kings were probably not able to control the other elements, especially those which are anthesis to their own. Fire and wind were complementary powers, though.

"Then... do we need to ask the Spirit King of Fire to restore my flames?" Ayano asked, face lighting up. The white haired man sighed.

**_"In a perfect world, yes, but unfortunately, the Spirit King of Fire is not awake or aware of herself at this moment."_** A stunned silence met his words, so he just waved a hand, sending a gust of air through the room that, when it calmed, left two more chairs sitting across from him. Ayano collapsed into the nearest one, hands rising to clutch at her chest. Kazuma remained standing; he was too tense to sit.

"If the Spirit King of Fire is dead, then what are we supposed to do to save Ayano?" Kazuma burst out, his anger making the air start to stirr up.

Shooting him an angry glance, the Spirit King of Wind calmed the air spirits with a wave of his hand and leaned back, rubbing his palms against his thighs. **_"I didn't say she was dead of anything. Of all of us, she's probably the hardest to kill. And if you'd stop interrupting me, I'd explain. But first... Kannagi Heir, you need to hold Enraiha."_**

Kazuma looked over at Ayano and felt his heart stop. She was hunched over in the chair, clutching at her chest tightly and breathing in painful, shallow gasps. Her fingers were beginning to look blue at the tips and her naturally pale skin was taking on a frosty white hue. He rushed over to her side and grabbed her hands. The bruise on her left hand was larger, stretching across three fingers now and licking at her palm.

Where was Enraiha? Kazuma turned and saw the sword laying beside the shopping bag from earlier. He dashed over and grabbed it, ignoring the flame that flared up at his touch, and carried it to Ayano. She snatched it from his hands and held it to her chest. After a long moment, Ayano's breathing evened out and the pain started to leech from her expression. The flames along the sword flickered out and she finally straightened. Her eyes were frightened but she drew in a deep breath and pushed her hair back, sending a small smile Kazuma's way.

"I'm sorry about that. Sometimes when my emotions flare, I feel a spark of power but then the cold gets worse and worse .Holding Enraiha does help, though." She said, a frown touching her face. "I don't know why, though."

Kazuma was confused. Though all magic responded to emotions, and especially among the Kannagi Clan, there was no way Ayano should have any power left. He couldn't sense any. Yet her emotions called some up from somewhere, which triggered the pain response he'd just witnessed. And why would holding Enraiha ease that pain? His eyes widened. Jugo... he must know! The Kannagi head had said that Ayano being with Enraiha was dangerous.

The Spirit King of Wind laughed._** "Don't think too hard; it might damage your mortal brain."** _He said, snark flowing from his lips as easily as it did from Kazuma's. He did not, however, appreciate being on the receiving end of it from the spirit. Still smiling, the white haired man crossed his legs. **_"There is an interesting legend among the Kannagi family."_** He started.

_**"One thousand years ago, there was a young fire magic user who traveled all over Japan purifying the spirits of yoma. He grew in acclaim and power, but was not satisfied. He wanted to meet the Spirit King of Fire, and thus gain the true power of his element. So he embarked upon a perilous journey to find the mighty spirit. Yadda yadda, things happened, and he met her. She was impressed with him and, once he got over being stunned that the Spirit King of Fire was a babe, they formed a contract, making the Kannagi Clan carriers of the powers of a Contractor. But they also fell in love. In order to be with the man she longed for, the Spirit King of Fire gave up her spirit form and powers and became a mortal woman. But, because of her contract, her very essence lived on inside the Kannagi line, so the fire spirits didn't die. That is why the Kannagi Clan is unmatched in the area of fire magic. However, the world cannot survive without the Spirit King for long, so every five hundred years, the spirit inside the Kannagi coalesces into one and she is effectively reborn again. Asleep, she lies dormant inside the soul of one of her descendants, until the carrier dies or trauma awakens her. Once she is awoken, the contract is renewed through the reformation of a Contractor in the Kannagi family, and she once again lives for a short time in the world of spirits. Then, once again, she will inevitably fall in love with the Kannagi soul and give herself up to them again. This has happened twice now. The last incident was five hundred and sixteen years ago, give or take a few months."**_

Before Kazuma could speak - or Ayano could ask for clarification - the Spirit King held up a finger. **_"Enraiha is the weapon of the Spirit King, and deeply connected to her soul. The person who wields it is the one with the most spirit in that generation. If I am not mistaken, Kannagi Heir, your father and mother were both the strongest fire magic users in the family, correct? Do you see?"_**

Kazuma did see. He wasn't blind. Ayano, at sixteen, could already, sometimes, summon the Crimson Flame. It was third in power, below only the Blue Flame of the old man and the Purple Flames of the Kannagi Head. For such a young woman to be able to control such power was unheard of, yet she did. Even Ren was unusual, with his Golden Purifying Flames, but... Ren didn't have Enraiha. Ren didn't burn with so much spirit magic energy that he could be used to draw out monsters as bait when incensed. Ren wasn't as strong as Ayano.

But there was no way what the Spirit King was saying could possibly be true. It just... wasn't possible. Ayano was Ayano, his princess. His.

Ayano frowned. "I know that story, but what has that got to do with why I need Enraiha, or even fixing me?" She asked, truly looking confused. Kazuma just shook his head. She's too naive and stupid to be anything but Ayano.

The Spirit King of Wind blinked, apparently stunned, then barked out a blast of laughter that blew Ayano's hair straight back. **_"Thinking is not your power, Kannagi Heir. I shall spell it out for you. The legend is not legend, but truth. The Spirit King of Fire lives on inside your family, and once every five hundred years, she is reborn through it. And her current incarnation is the current heir. In case that is still too vague for your feeble mind, princess, that means you have the soul of the Spirit King of Fire sleeping inside of yourself."_**

Ayano's mouth fell open and she stared at the spirit, eyes wide. Turning, she looked at Kazuma. "Me? Spirit King?" She asked, voice starting to rise as her hysteria grew. "But...but I'm a stupid little girl, and a clutz, and an idiot, and and and... there's no way that's possible! It would be someone like Cousin Akari, or Ren, or even Kazuma, not me!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms wide. "I'm just me!"

The spirit nodded. **_"Yes, you are. You are Ayano Kannagi, the daughter of Jugo, and heir to Enraiha. If you had not been attacked so viciously, you would have lived your life that way. She only awakens with the death of the carrier soul, after all. Enriaha works to keep the power of the spirit dormant, an inhibitor of sorts. You would have been an extraordinarily powerful Kannagi and died a legend, but you would have remained yourself the entire time. Like a Phoenix she rises from death. But now you are in danger; if that bruise on your arm and leg reaches your heart, 'Ayano' will die and the Spirit King of Fire will awaken and take over the life that was 'Ayano's.' However, while still in a mortal body, the She can be killed. With the amount of power that She holds, the one's who did this to the Kannagi Heir must be planning to use the death of a Spirit King for some nefarious is dangerous. She is, after all, the strongest of us all."_ **He said, standing and looking at Kazuma.

**_"To heal Ayano, you need to keep her from calling up the power which resides in the souls sleeping inside her. The more she uses the power, the faster the corruption placed upon her will spread, decaying her body. The only possible way to save her now is to completely purify her body from the inside out."_** His words were matter of fact and calm, but in his pupiless azure eyes, Kazuma thought he read worry.

It was a dire situation. If he believed the Spirit King's words - and he was still debating that - then all fire magic users in the world were in peril. The death of a Spirit King would end the lives of all that spirits magic users around the world. And without the fire magic users, the strongest purifiers in the world, the yoma would gain a huge advantage over everyone.

"Then we need to get her back to Jugo and the old man; fire magic possesses the strongest purifying flames." He muttered, not taking his eyes off Ayano. She still seemed to be struggling with what she'd just been told. He was having a hard time accepting it himself, but at this point he was willing to believe anything if it would return his princess to the way she normally was.

But the Spirit King shook his head. **_"No, don't do that. While the Kannagi Girl is without her own flames, the spirit sleeping within her will absorb all fire to protect the body, just like it did the fire from Enraiha. Once the corruption has been cleansed from the body, then those absorbed flames will be used to restore her power. You will have to use your wind instead, Kazuma."_**

Kazuma blinked. His wind purification wasn't near as strong as Ren's flames, but it could still, theoretically work. If applied multiple times and continuously, then the darkness from the yoma would be cleansed. Just one problem.

"Wind magic hurts Ayano, just like fire magic hurts me. I can't send my purifying wind inside her; it'll kill her!" He snapped, the very thought of causing Ayano any pain outside of what he could do to her in bed abhorrent to him.

To his amazement, the Spirit King laughed.**_ "Oh, that is easily circumnavigated. Put a little Kazuma inside Ayano, and your wind magic will recognize her as part of you, and not harm her. A pain free and enjoyable way to save the day. Especially for you, Contractor. While I do enjoy being a voyeur, solo activities don't titillate me near as much as they do you." _**Kazuma's glared at the spirit, making the man step back.**_ "Just trying to help. But truthfully, that is your only option. It will take at least three tries for you to stop and negate the yoma corruption, and that is only if she does not have any more episodes which expedite the process. I suggest you hurry. Powerful forces are searching for you two and are following your trail. Though you hid it well, they will eventually find you. Now then... since I have delivered the help I was called for, I am returning home. Kazuma, remember what I told you when I contracted with you; I do not care how you use my power, as long as you use it to change the trajectory of the world. You can chose. Save Ayano, or awaken the Spirit King of Fire. She would gift you with fire for saving her. You could show your family what a double Contractor could do. The choice is yours. Until I decide to drop in again, farewell!"_**

The room was suddenly the center of a vortex, the sheer power of the wind overwhelming Kazuma and Ayano. As suddenly as it had come, the swirling mass of wind spirits vanished, leaving just the two of them alone in the room. Kazuma shoved his hands into his pockets and watched Ayano as she muttered to herself, obviously trying to put the pieces together.

Jugo must have known. That was why he was worried about Enraiha being away from Ayano. He did not want to lose his daughter to the destiny which she was born to fulfill. _'I don't want to lose her either.'_

The girl on his mind stood and looked at her hands. "When I was trapped, that yoma tried to kill me. I... I got so angry and frustrated and upset... These flames, white fire with a black core, burst out of me and destroyed the yoma completely. It was the most terrifying power I have ever seen in my entire life. Can that have been...?" She turned her golden flame eyes to him, the trembling of her limbs becoming more pronounced.

Poor Ayano. His princess was at her limit. She had lost her fire, the power that made her who she was. Her family was dismissing her, and her father, in trying to protect her, had driven her to the edge. She was alone with him when he knew she was uncomfortable around him, and now she had learned that inside of her slept a dangerous power that would take over her life if the darkness inside of her wasn't cured. The tears shimmering in her eyes had every right to be there, and it was her shining stubborn will that was keeping them from falling. He... likes that about her.

Kazuma's legs moved before his mind. Her form stiffened when he wrapped his arms around her, but he just pressed her face against his chest and held her close, breathing deeply her scent. After a long moment, she relaxed and pressed her palms against his chest, holding his jacket lightly as she leaned against him.

"I'm scared, Kazuma. I... I don't want to stop being me." She whispered against his chest. He rested his hand on top of her head.

"I don't want you to stop being an idiot princess either." His words made a weak laugh bubble out of her. "Don't worry. We can fix this."

She shoved him away so hard that if he were anyone other than his magnificent self, he would have fallen flat on his ass. Her eyes sparkled at him. "You mean, I can get my fire back? I think the pervy Spirit King said something like that, but I really wasn't listening at that point, so... what do we do?"

Kazuma shoved his hands in his pockets and looked away. How was he supposed to tell Ayano, the queen of naive innocence, that the Spirit King of Wind had basically told him to sleep with her and use that connection to use his purifying winds on her? There was no way she would agree to something like that in the first place, not even to save her life; she's that stubborn. But truly, he didn't see any other option. If he tried to directly use his purifying wind on her, it would kill her since she had no powers of her own but what the yoma had forced into her.

Ayano stomped over and grabbed his jacket, yanking him down to her level again. Then she pushed her face closer to his, a truly magnificent glower coming over her beautiful face. "Ka-zu-ma!" She drew out his name in warning. He sighed and impulsively licked the tip of her noise.

She made a sound like a kettle and scrambled away from him to the other side other room, Enraiha pointed in his direction as he straightened. If he were completely honest with himself... he wasn't opposed to claiming her as his own here and now. It just rankled that he was being asked to do something he wanted to do before he was ready for it. The whole scenario in his mind of how he claimed Ayano didn't include laying with her to save her from a yoma's darkness. But... there may be a way to pencil that in.

A dangerous smile started to creep across his face as he stalked towards the shaking Ayano. Sure, it wasn't the way he'd planned it but... Ayano belonged to him anyway. Claiming her now rather than later meant he wouldn't have to put up with Jugo's stupid matchmaking plots anymore. Or Ren's pointed looks, and Ayano's friend's attempts to set the two of them up. He could monopolize the red head all he wanted. And he wanted, badly, to keep her to himself. He nodded. There may be merit to this plan after all... He sent a small thank you to the Spirit King.

"KA-ZU-MA!" Ayano's yell only made him smile wider as he stopped just outside of her strike range. Even without her power, he knew Ayano wasn't weak. She'd kicked the Spirit King of Wind right in the face and hadn't batted an eye about it, after all. His woman was tough as they come.

"Well, princess, according to the Spirit King, I get to make good on my words during Pandemonium. About my strong appetites." he said, rocking back on his heels as her face blanked, the flushed as she recalled their conversation - and his nip to her neck - after she'd used her Crimson Fire to knock some sense into his black-wind self.

"Wh...what? W-w-what does that mean, you pervert?" She stammered, not lowering the sword she had a death grip on. Kazuma's smirk grew, and he knew it was downright evil by this point.

"That means I get to kill two birds with one stone. In other words, to purify the darkness inside your body, you need to let me have my way with you." He said, biting the inside of his lip to keep from laughing as Ayano's mouth went slack and the hand holding Enraiha fell limply to her side.

She sputtered for a long moment, then, face growing red, threw her head back and yelled at the top of her lungs, "KAZUMA, YOU PERVERTED IDIOT!" He started laughing, then froze when white flames with a blacker than night center burst into life on the blade of Enraiha.

Ayano lifted the sword and stared at it, then dropped the blade altogether, the fire instantly going out. Staring at her hands, she fell to the ground and started shaking so hard Kazuma was afraid she'd hurt herself. Then, her breath catching on a gasp, she fell over onto her side and let out the most chilling scream Kazuma had ever heard in his life before all her sound just cut off, silenced like her lungs were frozen solid.

Heart thudding in his throat, Kazuma dashed to her side and grabbed her shoulders, wincing at the chill emanating from her skin. Her eyes were wide but sightless, all her focus inward. "Ayano! Ayano, snap out of it! Wake up, princess!" He shouted, shaking her. The black marks on her arm and leg slowly snaked further up her body, moving closer and closer to that precious heart he wanted to protect.

"AYANO!"


	9. Chapter 9

My entire world was pain, a freezing, biting pain that engulfed my consciousness. I couldn't get any air into my lungs to cry, or breath, for that matter. The most terrifying part, though, was that I could feel my heart stuttering, struggling to keep beating as ice invaded every cell of my body. The blood in my veins hurt, everything hurt. Dimly, I was aware of some activity going on around me, but I couldn't tell what it was. My world consisted of the agony invading my body. And I was so, so cold...

As suddenly as it had come, the child faded as warmth started to seep into my body again. The world snapped back into focus and I blinked slowly. My blurry eyes focused on the brown hair in front of my eyes as blessedly hot air invaded my lungs from my lips and - wait...

"Mmph!" My arms shot out and pushed Kazuma off me, taking his mouth off mine as my entire face turned bright red. Then my leg and arm throbbed and I fell to my side, cursing at the numb feeling in my limbs.

"Ayano!" I glanced up when he called my name, shocked to see him kneeling at my side with concern naked on his face. When I tried to sit up he let out a shuddering breath and helped me with a hand on my arm. "You stopped breathing." He said.

I... I what? Stopped breathing? My shaking fingers reached up and touched my lips. So that was what he'd been doing... I guess not even Kazuma is perverted enough to kiss someone when they're unconscious, or having an episode of whatever the heck this is. This is the second time he's had to save me this way, though! So embarrassing. I ducked my head and concentrated on breathing, my lungs still feeling cold. The pain was slow in receding as well. I didn't want to look, but...

The bruise on my leg was up to my thigh now. On my arm, I could see tendrils reaching up to my shoulder. It had gotten worse. My limbs felt tingly, like they do when they fall asleep and those painful prickles invade the entire thing. They were heavy like that, too, making it hard for me to push myself up, but I did it.

Kazuma looked away. "Sorry. That was my fault. I shouldn't have teased you. It's just... that's..." He seemed to be struggling. I shook my head. There he goes blaming himself again.

"Not your fault. I'm the one who can't control my temper, as you are fond of reminding me. And I forgive you for molesting me this once, since it was to save my life." I said, watching his head whip around so fast it was almost comical. Poor guy probably couldn't believe I was actually being nice and forgiving his malpractice, but it was a one time thing. Before he could say anything, I held up my hand. "Later. I need to talk to Father."

For a moment, I thought he would argue, then he just dug his cellphone out and handed it to me. Then he took his jacket off and placed it over my shoulders before settling on the floor next to me. Thankful for him being able to actually hold his tongue for once, I took a deep breath and punched in my father's number, holding the phone up to my ear.

After three rings he answered. "Where's Ayano?" I blinked. Father had Kazuma's number? Well, I guess that made sense, since he was hiring the man all the time, but still... Weird.

Hearing my father's voice made me waver. I don't want to deal with this huge problem of me possibly maybe having the Spirit King of Fire inside of me. Part of me wanted to run home and hide behind daddy, let him handle this. I could curl up in my room, safe, protected, the Kannagi princess, and not have to be scared or cold or dying anymore. All I had to say was I want to go home.

"I'm right here, thanks for asking." I answered instead. I can't be weak. I couldn't allow myself to be. Not when I've come this far already, despite how much I might wish to back down. As the Kannagi heir, I can't leave this half-way done.

On the other end of the call, I heard my father sigh in relief. "You're alright, then."

I closed my eyes tightly and shook my head, throat suddenly getting tight. "No, I'm not... I know about the Spirit King. Is it true, really? Is that why I have Enraiha and why you're so strict on me? Do you only love me because without me around you wouldn't have any firepower? What is going on, Father? How could you keep such a thing from me for so long?!" The words burst out, tumbling from my lips against my will as tears finally started flowing down my face.

I hadn't cried when Bernhardt got me, hadn't cried when this cold curse thing started killing me, and I hadn't even cried when the Spirit King of Wind clued me in on my destiny. But now, hearing Father's voice and picturing how my entire life may have been built on a lie, I couldn't stop the tears.

Next thing I knew, I was wrapped up in strong arms, a hand on my head and a soft voice whispering soothing words in my ear. My eyes widened as the scent of air and spice coiled around me, as I recognized the shirt my cheek rubbed against. Kazuma? Kazuma was comforting me, holding me? Why? Why was he being nice to me, why does he care? I tried to pull away, but he tightened his hold and took the phone from me, hitting a button on the device.

"Listen, Jugo, you need to be honest to Ayano. We've talked to the Spirit King of Wind and he spilled a few family secrets. He also told us that Ayano might die, so if not for your daughter's sake, then at least for the sake of your stupid precious Kannagi clan, you should - " Kazuma never got to finish that sentence.

"Everything I have ever done has been to protect my daughter!" Father's voice roared out of the phone, filled with such anguished emotions that I froze. I've never heard him like that before, never! I clung tighter to Kazuma, suddenly scared.

"Can you imagine, Kazuma, telling your four year old daughter that her mother is gone and suddenly seeing white flames engulfing her while you are stuck, paralysed, to a bed in the hospital? It happened to me. Ayano cried so hard, and the flames kept growing higher, until her clothes started to burn and I couldn't reach her! That agony knows no words to describe it. I don't know why, but I called forth Enraiha and tried to pull her closer with the sword. Once the wood touched her, though, she collapsed. Four, Kazuma. Ayano was four. I had no idea what had just happened. I became head of the family when my grandmother passed away of a sudden heart attack when she was still young, so I hadn't time to learn all the legends and lore. All I knew was that my child, the only connection I had left to my wife, the person I cared for most in this entire world, had almost burned herself up when no fire should hurt her, with a power she shouldn't be able to wield." Father's voice cut off on a pained gasp.

His health, though he pretends otherwise, has not been the best in recent years. He never fully recovered from the accident which killed Mom, and the older he got, the more complications appeared from the old injury. If he wasn't active and moving his leg would get stuck. If he didn't have a massage therapist (and Ren) work his back once a week he couldn't hardly move. His heart was bad, the doctor told him on the last visit to get checked up on. It was damaged in his accident and never fully recovered, had a buildup of scar tissue making it hard for the muscle to pump properly. I couldn't stand to see my father as weak, and he's not, but the truth is... Despite Father's power and skill, he is just an old man. Older than Cousin Genma, even. More hot tears leaked out of my eyes, staining Kazuma's shirt.

"The only thing I knew was that Enraiha had stopped her. So I wanted her to have it as soon as possible. My injuries made it perfect. The heir would have to be announced soon since I could no longer properly use the family sword. So I... I pressured Genma. I knew he wanted you to become heir, Kazuma, so I used that to make him train you harder, and press for the ceremony even though you had no chance. I did it because Ayano needed Enriaha. After I was released from the hospital, Ayano trained with me in private while I recovered. During that time, she called forth the Crimson Flame, the Blue Flame, and even my Purple Flames. Her powers were growing too strong and I could not, would not see my daughter die because of it. Each time the Crimson Flame grew out of her control, she had to be treated for first and second degree burns. I had to do it in secret because a Kannagi shouldn't have burns, you know that!" Father's voice was followed by a hand slamming down on something hard.

Kazuma drew in a ragged breath. "So... that's why the ceremony to decide the heir to Enraiha was done so soon. I've always wondered..." He muttered.

My father sighed. "I never imagined that it would lead to your exile, Kazuma, and it is something I have greatly regretted ever since, but... afterwards, Ayano's power settled. She was no stronger than she should have been. But I needed to know if that was a sign of further trouble. So I went to the library and read all the old records. I found the tapestries with the legends on them and brought them out of storage. I encouraged Akira to train the children and teach them, all so no one would think it strange that I was so interested in the history as well. One day, when Ayano was around eight, I found it. A diary kept by an ancestor five hundred years ago. It was in a small, leather bound black book at the farthest corner of the library. In there I found the account of one ancestor who had the power to summon white flames when she was a child, and who exhibited terrible powers early in life. Everyone thought her a god and she became the Kannagi head at sixteen. On her eighteenth birthday, however, while she was giving birth, her heart stopped beating. When they burned her body and moured, a phoenix rose from the corpse and spread her fiery wings over the woman. 'I am the Spirit King of Fire,' she said in a terrible voice, 'and I have lived as this woman for eighteen years. Because of the great love she held for you, I will grant one boon.' Naturally the clan asked for a renewal of the contract which gave them supremacy over all magic users. It was done, and the woman's body burned to ash. The Spirit King wept. 'If you had asked it of me, I would have restored that woman to life and given you a power greater still.' Then she fled. The last words of the diary were _'We lost our precious leader that day, but learned the truth. The loss of her unconquerable spirit could have been prevented, had only we the courage to ask it of the Spirit King.'_ "

I heard Kazuma suck in a surprised breath, but before I could ask him about it, Father' continued talking. "While the family still gained power, after that their relations fell into a decline. They became obsessed with power and prestige, losing the gift which had once made them the favorite of the Spirit King. Records of branch houses trying to wrest power from the head house grew more common, as the head family rated the same from that time onward. I understood immediately. The Spirit King was back and wanted to test her family again, and somehow had become my daughter. Ayano had a terrible future awaiting her. So I tried to do everything I could to prevent her from being hurt, to stop the return of the Spirit King. I enforced strict curfews and limited her excursions out of the house. I hired you as a bodyguard, Kazuma. I even lied to her. Thought it may have made Ayano hate me, though I may come across as a bad father and a worse head of the family, I did it all because I love Ayano!"

Silence fell. I didn't know what to think. To hear my father's voice so broken as he tells me why my life has been a gilded cage for as long as I can recall...it had hurt me, made me feel like I was drowning. But to learn that all his rules and such were to keep me from ever being in a situation where he may be forced to chose between his daughter's life and the life of his clan...

"You aren't a bad parent, Jugo. You want to know what one looks like, then look my old man. I'm sorry I was so rude earlier. It must have been tough on you, balancing Ayano's protection with the wellbeing of the clan." Kazuma said, fingers absently trailing through my hair. What is wrong with him? He's being polite to father and downright human to me! Maybe he's sick...

Father laughed without humor. "She certainly doesn't make it easy on me. But now that she knows there's no need to hide it. Ayano is safe as long as she comes to no harm which would end her life. We've been researching, and Akira found that in Belial's demon court there is a yoma who possesses the ability to not only eat spirit energy, but to also mark and slowly drain to death a host, which then siphons the energy to Belial." He sighed. "Based on the information, we believe that is what is truly wrong with Ayano. It can only be fixed by extreme purification."

My mind reeled. This is too much for me. My mental capacity has been exceeded. Yoma and Belial and siphoning, not my normal conversation topics. Well, yoma are, but this was outside my knowledge. I'll let them think and once we've decided what needs broken by Enraiha, it'll be my turn. Actually, I felt kind of relieved. Now I know why Father was always so hard on me. It wasn't because he was disappointed in me as his heir or anything like that. And why he was so adamant about my keeping Enraiha close all the time. It makes so much more sense now. I'm mad at him for keeping this from me for so long, but I guess I can understand. After all, I love Father so much, too. We are each other's only family. The Kannagi Clan is great and I love all my cousins but... Father is the only one who understands me so completely. Well, not the only one.

I turned in Kazuma's hold so I was facing the phone, sitting on speaker in front of us. I didn't try to move out of his embrace though. It felt... nice, and heaven knows when it would happen again. I can count the number of time Kazuma has "hugged" me on one hand. Actually, I don't think any of those count as hugs except the last one, and he only did that because he was super upset and didn't want me to see him cry, I guess. Stupid Lapis...

"That fits what old blustery was saying. But purifying flames won't work. Ayano can't handle flame right now, so the sleeping spirit absorbs them." Kazuma said, keeping one arm draped across my belly while he leaned back against his other. Um... seriously, Kazuma, what's wrong with you. I started trying to tug free of him, not that he noticed. If my flames weren't gone...

"Hmm... If fire won't work then perhaps you could use your wind? But for the type of purification needed to save Ayano, you'd have to use your contracted powers. That would hurt her." Father sighed. I could just picture him rubbing his forehead. "Which leaves us with almost no options."

"The Spirit King of Wind... Had a suggestion." Kazuma started, but I drove my elbow into his gut hard enough to knock him over. Freedom!

"Which we are not even considering." I interjected sweetly, struggling free of Kazuma's hold and crawling across from him. My left leg still felt about ten times heavier than it normally was, which made moving really awkward, but I did it! Now how to purify myself without involving Kazuma Arrogant Mc-Grumpy Pants Yagami...

"If I need purification, why didn't the Spirit King of Wind do it?" Why hadn't that perverted wind sprite healed me? He said he couldn't restore my flames, but that and my other problem were two separate issues... right?

Kazuma sighed. "If my magic would hurt you, what do you think his would do, idiot?" He said, bonking me on the forehead again. "Don't open your mouth; you're making me feel stupid by proximity." He added when my mouth fell open and I started to retort.

Jerk. I crossed my arms and glowered while he started talking to Father.

"Like I was trying to say before Princess here attempted to gut me with her elbow, the Spirit King of Wind proposed that if Ayano carries a part of me inside herself, then my magic will not hurt her." He said it so nonchalantly! To my Father, of all people. Should this be where I tell Kazuma that my father has, in the past, burned people who look at me the wrong way? A smug smirk settled onto my face. Nope. Let him figure it out himself! Now, then Father, give him the third degree!

"... I give my permission, if that is what is holding you back." At Father's words, my jaw about hit the floor and I fell over. What? What had he just said? Surely Father hadn't agreed with Kazuma and the Wind Perv King?! There is no way that's possible! "Just expect to do right by Ayano once this situation has been resolved." Do... right by me? What's that supposed to mean? And why does he sound so freaking self satisfied? Aargh,this makes no sense!

"Right. Just so you know, I'm not dancing to your tune, Jugo. Ever." Kazuma said, eyes laughing as he watched my no-doubt very confused face. "I'll take care of Ayano, so - "

"Ayano will take care of herself, thank you!" I shouted, jumping to my feet and stamping my foot. "I'm not going to bed with an egotistical playboy who doesn't care the least bit for me or my family name! I'd rather die than lower myself that much. There has to be another way to purify my body that does not involve being defiled by Kazuma first." I snapped, hands clenching into fists as my heart raced. Because I was angry. That's why.

For a moment, neither man spoke. Then I heard my father sigh heavily on his end of the phone. "Kazuma, try to reason with her. You have my permission, so do not hesitate. I leave Ayano to you. Be careful." Then the phone beeped and went dark. He'd hung up. Leaving me alone, unsupervised, with... with Kazuma. Who'd just been given permission to sleep with me by my own father. Don't get angry, Ayano, don't get mad. Control... control...

"Come near me and I swear I'll do you bodily harm. I may not have my fire but I still have Enraiha. And my teeth." I said through a clenched jaw when Kazuma made a move in my direction. He sighed and pocketed his phone, turning and walking to the other side of the room. I nodded. "Good. Stay there."

"So what's the plan now, Princess. You know you can't hold out for much longer with that yoma's mark on you, and without your fire you're only getting worse faster. It can all be fixed easily. Just let me have you." Kazuma said, body strangely tense as I started shifting towards the sliding door leading to the garden and the hot springs. If I could get outside...

"I'm not an object to be won here, Kazuma! I'm a person, with my own thoughts and feelings, and I'm not going to sleep with you." Despite how creepily nice he was being to me, Kazuma is Kazuma, and a jerk. I can't sleep with a jerk, no matter how attractive he may actually be. Brain! Stop thinking about Kazuma! I shook my head and continued inching for the door.

"Why not? You love me, after all." At Kazuma's soft words, I felt like someone had punched me. What... did he just say. My feet stopped sliding and I hung my head, hair sliding around to shield my face from view.

Love, Kazuma? The pervert who mocked me? The man who belittled my womanly charms every chance he got? The family member who hated my clan? The spirit magic user I respected even as he aggravated me? There's no way that was possible, right?

_'Don't panic, Ayano. Break it down. Think it through.'_ Right, so, in the romance novels and manga's I read and that Nanase lends me, love works like this: The boy is always on your mind. Well, check. Kazuma has been all I can think about lately, after all. Ever since stupid Pandemonium when Catherine and Detective Tachibana told me all that weird stuff. Next, just being near the boy makes your heart pound. Check, but that is because he usually makes me angry and not because he is attractive or anything. Which he is, but that doesn't matter. At all. Focus, focus. After that, what was it... oh! You and the boy spend a lot of time alone together. Check, in a way. He is my bodyguard and he's always with me when I'm out killing yoma. And the final cue that love is what you feel was... The boy has rushed to your rescue more than once. Well... Check. Kazuma is always saving me. So does this mean... my face paled and my hands grew clammy with growing horror. Oh no...

"What? Not going to deny that, Princess? Well, I don't think anyone would believe you, even if you did." Kazuma's smug voice broke into my panicked thoughts. Just hearing his voice made me shiver. I guess this does explain why I've been feeling so strange around him since Pandemonium. Why I was hurt by his refusal to talk to me, why being in his suite left me flustered, and why just thinking of his hands touching me made my entire body feel like it was burning up inside. I...

Hate this.

I lifted my head and glared at him. Kazuma's smirk froze and then faded when he saw the tears tracking down my cheeks. "Yes, I guess I am in love with you, stupid Kazuma." My voice cracked but I kept talking, unable to stop the outpouring of emotions and words now that I'd realized the truth. "And I hate it! Because you are going to belittle me more because of it. You'll call me stupid for falling like a man like you! You'll hate me even more because I'm a Kannagi. I'm a little girl, I know, you don't have to tell me that. Despite knowing all this, I still love your stupid ass! And I hate it. I hate myself for not being to stop loving you! I deserve so much better than to have my heart constantly stomped on by a man who would as soon kiss a pig than be in relationship with me which didn't involve money. You... IDIOT!" I turned and bolted outside, dashing into the garden without thinking.

With only a thin robe on and Enraiha, I wasn't safe or anything, but I couldn't stand to be in that room with Kazuma any longer. His face... before I'd left, it had been growing pale and then a horrible look, almost like guilt but not quite, was creeping into his eyes. Was he disgusted? Because a woman other than his precious Tsui-Ling loved him this much? Probably. Other than sleeping around, he's never going to allow another to take Tsui-Ling's place in his heart of his life.

I dashed the tears from my face and slowed my mad dash, gulping air into my burning lungs. At least my leg was feeling almost normal now. It was still tingling like the blood wasn't flowing properly, but that's better than the ten ton lead weight feeling from earlier. The soft sound of water drew me, so I walked carefully over the cool grass and around a small hedge of blooming roses to find a secluded fountain. The mermaid statue poured water from her urn into the pool in with she had lain herself. The stone carving was so real that I expected, when I reached out to touch her fin, to feel scales and flesh beneath my fingertips. But it was just granite. Around the fountain were low growth flowers like a carpet of purple, blue and crimson red. A small white bench sat in a shadowy corner. Sighing, I walked over and sat, tilting my head back to stare up at the stars.

The mountain air was cool and made goosebumps break out on my flesh. Where... was Kazuma? Normally he would have found me by now, even if it was just to make fun of me. He takes his protection of me seriously, at least. Not that I actually want to see him, mind. It's just unusual.

"Maybe I completely disgusted him. He probably doesn't want to be near me right now." I muttered, pulling my legs up under me and burying my head in my hands. "Stupid... Ayano, you really are a stupid idiot princess." I muttered, pressing hard against my eyes. There's no use in crying so I should just stop right now. It's weak, and I cannot abide by weakness. I have no reason to cry.

So what if I'd realized I was in love with Kazuma? So what if I'd told him. It doesn't matter. I know he won't return those feelings at all. It'll be my problem to deal with. They are my feelings and I... think I'll spend the rest of my life drooling over a guy who wouldn't spare me the time of day if my father wasn't paying him to do so. Sighing, I lifted my head and slapped my cheeks.

Positive thinking, Ayano. Positive thinking. I'll... go talk to Kazuma, at least. We need to get all of this stupid emotional stuff out of the way so we can work on getting me fixed so I don't, I don't know, die? With that in mind, I stood up and started walking but then...

"The sounds... they're all gone." I whispered, my voice obscenely loud in the complete silence which surrounded me. I glanced over at the fountain. The water was still falling but I couldn't hear it at all. Heart lodging in my throat, I held Enraiha tighter and slowly started looking around. Something isn't right here.

The sound of booted steps made me whirls. The gape in the hedge I had come through was in shadow, but I could barely make out a darker shape amidst the darkness there. "Who's there? Come out, now!" I snapped, fear chased away by the annoyance that, once again, I've gotten myself into a situation by running away from the one guy who could probably protect me from problems. _'When I get out of here, I think I'll really change my name to Idiot Princess. I deserve it after this.'_

A slow clap preceded the man as he stepped into the small garden. My heart lodged in my throat. "Seriously? You again!? You're like a cockroach! You keep showing up where you're not wanted." I snapped, holding my ground as he walked my way. "Where's Kazuma?"

Bernhardt stopped just outside my range with the sword and smiled softly at me. "Outside my barrier. I was debating how to get you when you ran into my arms by yourself. I was not aware you were so eager to return to my side, Kannagi princess." He said, the moonlight reflecting off his half-mask and giving his face an eerie light/dark glow.

"Where's Kazuma, you wanna be Phantom?" I growled, lifting Enraiha threateningly. Without my flames, and with my body as compromised as it is, I know I can't win against someone as powerful as Bernhardt. Honestly, I doubt that I will be able to defeat him even once I regain my full power. But I'm not going to just give up. I'm Ayano Kannagi, and therefore, until my heart stops beating, I'm going to fight to the end.

The mage laughed softly. "So fierce. Kazuma is dancing with Lapis right now. The barrier I constructed this time is stronger but I don't want to take the chance of his breaking it with his Contractor powers, so she will keep him busy until we are finished with our business." He said, motioning towards me. "Please, walk with me awhile."

I lifted an eyebrow. Sounds fishy at best, smells rotten at worst. But... what else can I do. I can't truly fight like this. And I know... I doubt Kazuma will be able to hurt Lapis. She looks just like his stupid girlfriend. If he manages to get by her and break the barrier, though, I know that he'll be able to save me. Bernhardt will not confront Kazuma directly, so that has to mean he is at least a little afraid of the wind mage.

Letting out a sigh, I lowered Enraiha. It's not the best hope in the world, but I guess I'll cling to it. Kazuma will either come rescue me or I'll figure out a way to save myself. To do either one, I need time. So, it's time to take a walk with Mr. Creep-Mask-Face.

Bernhardt offered me his arm, but I refused and walked slightly behind him so I could keep my eyes on him. He chuckled and started leading me further out into the gardens. Funny... from the air, the hedges and flower beds around the inn hadn't seemed that expansive.

"What's the business, Bernhardt?" I asked, eyes flickering to the shadows around us. They seemed sinister. Without my flames I have no way of knowing if a yoma is lurking or not. Damn it!

"Straight to the heart of the matter, I like that. The business is as it always is. We serve Belial and other powerful demon kings as servants in this realm. We endeavor, as always, to open the doorways between this world and the demon realm so that the yoma and demons may run about freely, creating chaos so that a new, higher order of life may be formed on this planet. However, doorways strong enough to hold powerful demons are not exactly easy to make. They require copious amounts of energy." He said, sighing dramatically and playing a hand on his chest. "The sheer number of sacrifices makes them illogical, even for the most devout like myself. Pandemonium proved that without a doubt for all of us."

My anger spiked, making the flicker of fire appear in my chest while ice lanced inward from my leg and arm. I bit my tongue to hold it back, then spoke in a tightly controlled voice. "Pandemonium, then... was it just a logistical test to you?" All those people turned into monsters and slain... for an experiment?

The man just laughed. "Well, of course. We knew in theory how much death it would take, but in practice it was a larger amount than even we were comfortable with. It's not very secret when that many youths die." He said it so calmly! I bit the inside of my mouth. Don't yell at him, don't punch him. Don't get angry, Ayano... control.

"Before I even attempted the Pandemonium experiment, though, there was another in the works. To open a gateway and provide a sufficient enough sacrifice to summon Belial fully to this world would require untold amounts of raw energy, the kind that a Spirit King would hold." At Bernhardt's words my heart stuttered. No way... they couldn't possibly be thinking something so heinous. It would spell the complete ruination of the balance of the world.

"But, alas, Spirits don't just show themselves to anyone, especially not the Spirit Kings. They can sense yoma and demon taint. So we settled for the next best thing: a Contractor, who is able to call upon the powers of their element like a Spirit King. The theory was that a Contractor would provide enough raw energy to power a summons for a demon like Belial." The masked man slid his uncovered eye over to me. "The only Contractor around is Kazuma, and as as bonus he is of the illustrious Kannagi bloodline. His capacity for raw strength is unmatched in this world. So when I found him here, I was ecstatic. I observed his powers, saw how raw his energy was, and thought that the Contractor Theory had a chance of working. As a final test, we implemented Pandemonium to see the full breadth of Kazuma's power... and that is when I found you."

He stopped and turned to me so suddenly that I stumbled and almost fell. Reaching up, Bernhardt pulled the mask off his face and I felt my stomach roll. A large scar ran from the crown of his head all the way down to his chin, tearing over his eye and disfiguring his lip into an eternal, lopsided sneer. And his eye... the normal one was blue, but the one under the mask was demonic red and appeared unnatural in his pale face.

"This gift from Kazuma may have stolen my beautiful looks, but it has had some benefits. With this eye which was touched with the fury of the wind spirits, I, like Kazuma himself, can read the energy and power of a soul. But unlike Kazuma, I do not limit my sight out of something as mundane as a sense of propriety. So I can see to the depths of your soul, Kannagi Princess. And what I found that day we faced off at Pandemonium changed our plans forever. I found, deep inside of you, the sleeping soul of a Spirit King burning with endless energy. If that power were to become our sacrifice, if I offered you to Belial, I'm certain an eternal gateway between the worlds would be opened and that the master would bestow many honors onto me!" Throwing his head back, Bernhardt laughed like the super villain I am now certain he is, not that there was much doubt before.

I started backing away from him and he stopped laughing, both his eyes locking onto me. I felt a shadow pass over my heart, like something foul had just tried to touch me and swallowed thickly. This man is not normal. No one who can talk about surrendering the world to yoma and demon's so easily can be called sane, either.

I have to stop him, but how? He isn't after me, Ayano Kannagi, but rather the Spirit King of Fire I hold inside me. From what Pervy Wind said and the legends Father had mentioned, pretty much the only way to get her out was to kill me, or destroy my soul so that she could control my body. I glanced down at the mark spreading up over my shoulder towards my neck and heart. Technically, I'm dying anyway. My heart clenched, but I should my head and kept thinking.

Think, Ayano! You have to do something! Since I'm dying anyway, Bernhardt doesn't even have to kill me himself. He can just wait for his pet yoma's mark to claim me and then sacrifice the Spirit King directly. But I can't let that happen, and I can't let him get impatient and try to kill me himself, either. So what other choice do I have but to fight? Doing so would not end well for me, I know, but if it saves the family and stops Kazuma's pain... Then I'll do it.

"I'm not going to allow that to happen." I growled, holding Enraiha in front of me horizontal to the ground and closing my eyes. In response to my actions, Bernhardt started laughing again.

"What do you think you can do, little girl?" Though my eyebrow twitched at his wods, i tried not to react. Ignore him, Ayno... I reached deep into my self, going further into my own core than I ever had dared to before, searching for the power I knew was sleeping there._ 'Spirit of Fire, King of Flames, Please lend me your power to, um, beat the crap out of this megalomaniac.'_ Hey, that's a vocab word from the English test next week... Mrs. Suho would be mighty happy to hear me putting her words into practice.

At the deepest part of my soul, I found her. A blaze of pure power that crackled and scorched me as I approached, it sat in the darkness that was my currently powerless self. And in the center of that flame... a woman, flame haired, golden eyes, and beautiful. _'Um, hello. Spirit King of Fire, right?'_ I asked, suddenly shy. She just looked at me, then seemed to be looking out through my eyes at Bernhardt still laughing and ranting across from my still form in reality. _'Yeah, so the thing is, he's trying to use you to summon Belial by killing me and you while you are still mortal. Which is confusing. He really peeves me off and I want to kick the bastard where it hurts, but I have no power to do so. Can I... borrow yours?'_

Her eyes looked straight into me and I felt like my soul was being burned.**_ 'It will hurt you.'_** The voice burst forth like a snap of heat and felt like a hand held too close to the fire. Intense. Not even Perv the Wind King had felt this... powerful, this detached from life itself. She felt like pure energy to me, nothing substantial. I shook myself. Not the time for this, Ayano. Focus.

_'That's fine. I know that doing this will probably kill me, but if I stop Bernhardt then that won't really matter. My family will be sad, but Ren can handle Enraiha. Kazuma...'_ I felt my resolve waver. I know my feelings for him, but I need to let that go. Kazuma has made it more than clear what he thinks of me personally. He had told me to always fight to live and win, but in this case, I don't have a choice. I drew in a deep breath. Harden your heart, Ayano. I can't let Bernhardt win, and I'm not going to wait around for someone to save me. No matter how much I want to. _'He'll get over it eventually, I guess. Catherine will be more than willing to take my place as bumbling the Fire Princess he protects for money. So can I borrow your power?'_

The Spirit King of Fire watched me unblinking for a long moment, then closed her eyes. _**'It has always been yours. Take it now, and do not waver. Fight, be a fiery wind of death, and destroy evil at its roots. Win, precious daughter. My power is yours.'**_ At that moment that emptiness in my soul was suddenly filled with burning fire so bright and powerful that I cried out in pain. The white flame rippled inside of me, straining against my control, but I gnawed my lip and wrestled it down.

_'Thanks! I'll give it right back as soon as I am done, okay? So, um, you can snooze again until then.'_ I told her, opening my eyes to see Bernhardt looking at me sharply.

"What have you done? I see energy beyond your previous strength burning inside of you." He said, brows coming together in confusion.

I felt like I could fly. The cold that had been eating away at me was, at the present gone (though as soon as this borrowed power leaves, it'll be back, I know it) and I felt like my body was warm again. I held Enraiha out and, with a shout, sent pure white flames tinted with the tiniest bite of pure black pouring down the blade. Bernhardt's eyes widened and I grinned.

"When you first caught me, Bernhardt, I told you that no one can control me. And just now, I told you I wasn't going to let things go your way. You should have figured out by now that Ayano Kannagi never obeys anyone's rules or listens to what anyone tells her to do! I'm not Tsui-Ling or any of the other helpless victims you have used before. I'm a Kannagi, and I will never, ever stop fighting you!" I shouted, leaping forward with the crackling sword.

It cut through the air, leaving a shimmering rainbow of flames in it's wake. Purple, Green, Blue, Crimson, Gold, they glittered in the air as Bernhardt jumped out of the way. His eyes were wide now, but not panicked.

"That's the power of the Spirit King. How are you using it, when you are not a Contractor? That is impossible!" He sounded genuinely curious, not scared. Which frightened me. But not enough to make me stop. I just swung again and he leapt out of the way with a nimbleness which seemed almost unnatural. I gritted my teeth and reset my position, lifting Enraiha high.

"I can do whatever I set my mind to!" I shouted, throwing a white fireball straight at the guy through Enraiha. He managed to dodge again with Kazuma-like quickess, but his white cape was caught. The flames ate up the fabric without stopping, forcing Bernhardt to take it off. Once the fabric was consumed, the flames spent themselves without spreading to the grass. That was like Cousin Genma's Blue Flames! It only burns what the wielder wants it to. Maybe this white fire has properties from all flames. I mean, that would make sense. The Spirit King of Fire would be able to use every single type of flame that we fire magic users utilize. So with that being the case, then I can maybe fight with the powers of my entire family. Father's violet power, Ren's gold, Cousin Genma's blue and my crimson. I won't be facing this enemy alone after all.

I smiled and lifted the sacred sword again, letting another fireball flare out at my enemy. He jumped away and whispered some slithering words under his breath. Sickly green light bloomed from him and reached out towards me like hungry squid arms, but I jumped away and sent a volley of smaller flames after him. He returned fire readily, easily able to keep up with me despite my attempts to get ahead. He's a good fighter, with plenty of skill, but more importantly...

What kind of magic was that? It certainly wasn't spirit magic that's for certain. It actually felt similar to the nasty magic that Michael Harley had used to turn Misao into a slime dragon. It's impure and disturbing, and I don't want it to touch me. I leaped out of the way, the coil of green narrowly missing my arm. As I turned I saw the mark on my arm moving almost like it was alive, climbing up my body in a steady pace. If this fight drew on my longer I would end up killing myself instead of Bernhardt. Think, Ayano...

Though I admit, I'm not very good at it! When we fought Michael Harley, Kazuma used my fire and turned it into a blue flame to purify and destroy the corrupt magic to save Misao. If I do the same now, I may be able to take this unnatural power away from Bernhardt while not killing him. It is more my style to just destroy and break and maim, but we know too little about the cult of Moon and Stars and Armagest. Who better to ask than the leader of both? Plus, it will prove to Kazuma that I can, in fact, use my brain. I pulled more energy forth, getting ready to strike with a Cousin Genma-esque fire.

A sudden shaft of ice shot through my center. The white flames on my sword started flickering and I could feel the power starting to wane. My breath caught in a sharp gasp and I staggered. _'Oh no... Too soon...'_ My energy flagging, I dropped the top of my sword down and leaned on the weapon.I hadn't expected the power to run out so quickly. I guess my body just wasn't capable of handling all this raw power. I'm not a Contractor, or even perfectly healthy. If I were being honest, there was no way I even should be able to have this power. Across from me, Bernhardt slowly smiled and crossed his arms.

"Oh? What's this? The Fire Princess giving out already?" He taunted, body becoming surrounded in that sickly green glow again. He was going to attack. I pulled Enraiha back up and made the fire roar into life on the blade, sweat breaking out on my body even as I shivered.

"Not even close. Come on!" I shouted, charging forward with a yell. But I could already tell... My strength was fading fast and the flames flickered along the blade. This fight was not going to end well for me if it dragged on any longer. I'm not strong enough to match him in physical skills alone, and with this borrowed magic, I can't beat him in power either. So I was going to end this whole thing now, Kannagi style. _'Father, everyone... Kazuma... I'm sorry.'_

Bernhardt rushed forward to meet me, a perverse glee shining in his eyes, but before we could meet, I stopped and pulled Enraiha down to my chest, holding it perpendicular to the ground. With all my strength, I pulled every single fire spirit that I could into my self, building the white fire I was using higher and higher until it was dangerously unstable. Opening my eyes, I smirked at Bernhardt as he reached me. His eyes widened, but it was too late.

"Boom." I whispered, letting Enraiha dropped through my hands. As soon as the hilt hit the ground, all the fire spirits I had gathered exploded at once, sending a wave of raw spirit energy rushing outward in an explosion I felt more than heard. For one shining moment, I saw panic take over Bernhardt's face, the realization that he had been bested by the girl he'd thought to make a sacrifice. I'd won.

Then the white fire left and my entire body seized with a freezing pain so acute, so strong, that my world became nothing but agony.


	10. Chapter 10

_'I hate myself for not being able to stop loving you!'_ Ayano's pain-filled voice had frozen him to the spot when she turned and dashed from the room. His heart had soared when she'd finally admitted she loved him, making him feel like he could conquer the world... but then she'd cried. Her tears broke him open, and with her words she paralyzed him. She really viewed him that way? She thought he hated her so much? But... how?

Kazuma's mind whirled. Everyone else was able to see his feelings for the woman, but the person he wanted to have feel kindly towards him had the worst impression of him ever. Is she dense or just blind? But her words!? Doesn't she know that he is only mean to the person he likes? He groaned and covered his face with his hands. That is such a childish way to act. He is such a child, at least when it comes to his emotions and her. No wonder she had the complete wrong idea about his feelings.

_'I admit I go a little far sometimes... Damn it! I finally get her to admit the truth, but then my stupid pride makes her think I hate her!'_ So he's not exactly the most intelligent person around when dealing with Ayano. She has a direct line to his emotions, which he hates, so his snark and crudeness are amplified around her as a defense. All because he can't stand to have a girl six years younger than him having so much control over im. Because he's so arrogant, he thinks he can claim her at any time. Because she's so alive that she unintentionally brings out the worst parts of his personality. Not that his personality is the best to begin with anyway. But he wasn't that bad... was he?

A prickle of power flared at the edge of his senses. Kazuma dashed out into the garden after Ayano, heart pounding. "Hey, Princess! Where're you at?" He called, sending his senses out along the wind to try and find her. Even if he couldn't sense her power, he was pretty confident that in this small an area, he'd be able to locate her just by her natural vivacity.

However, before he's gotten very far in his search, he ran into a barrier. The energy was the same as that time at the museum. Kazuma clenched his fists. Bernhardt! He was the only one who could make a barrier this powerful. But it wouldn't stop Kazuma; he'd broken the last one and he would break this one, too.

He started calling his wind spirits to him. It would be easier if he invoked the contract with the bluster brained wind king of perversion, but if it truly was Bernhardt inside this barrier with his woman, then Kazuma wanted to save his strength so that he could deliver upon that murdering man a lashing he wouldn't soon forget.

"I cannot let you interfere." The monotonous soft whisper of a voice made Kazuma's entire body grow cold. Whirling, he watched, pain in his eyes, as a tiny slip of a woman in an almost comically cute dress approached him, dragging a sword bigger than herself behind her.

"Lapis." Kazuma spat out her name like poison. This woman... She was a mockery of Tsui-Ling, the woman who had taught him what it meant to live. The woman who had saved him after his family had kicked him out. The woman who had been sacrificed to the yoma right in front of his eyes. Looking at her hurt. She appeared to be an almost perfect copy of his lost lover but Tsui-Ling would never commit the crimes that Lapis has. Even so, he had a hard time separating the two women in his mind.

_Can I destroy Lapis?_ Kazuma knew that unless he gave his full effort he wouldn't be able to break the barrier. If Lapis tried to fight him, his attention would be divided. He's stronger than her, and knew he beat her, but will his heart let him? She looks like Tsui-Ling! That was why he allowed Ayano to fight her the last time they'd confronted one another. He couldn't stand to watch Tsui-Ling die by his hand again. Well, that and the fact that his princess had a sword and looked damn hot using it. Princess... Focus, Kazuma! Lapis isn't Tsui-Ling! Ayano needs you to focus!

"Ayano is inside this barrier?" Kazuma asked Lapis, mind racing to try and find a way to end this without having to kill Lapis. He just didn't know what that would do to him.

The doll nodded. "Yes. She must be made into a sacrifice. With the spiritual energy she possesses a permanent door between this world and the realm of yoma and demons could be opened. So, until she is killed, you can't enter the barrier." She said, blinking slowly as she lifted up her sword. She intended to fight him.

Kazuma clenched his teeth. Dammit! He had no other choice then. Throwing his arms out, he sent his wind blades slicing at the woman. She leapt out of the way and charged forward, swinging her sword at him. He dodged, thankful, for once, that he was used to having a woman swinging a sword at him. He msut have a gift of driving females to violence. Compared to Ayano, Lapis was pretty slow. But her hit would hurt if it actually made contact, so...

Taking to the air, Kazuma kept sending the air blades down at Lapis, watching as she dodged and wove around the garden, searching for a place to launch an attack from.

A strong surge of energy burst into being inside the barrier, so potent that not even Bernhardt's magic could keep it back. Kazuma tasted the flavor of Ayano's pure life in the power, mixed with such raw energy that her spirit signature fairly glowed to his senses. Had she somehow gotten her fire back? That's not possible, though. And anyway, this power... It wasn't purely Ayano. It was too raw, almost scalding; Ayano's power was vibrant, alive, burning, but always warm to his senses. This was too wild, too potent. Elemental.

His eyes widened. Surely she can't be that stupid!? But... This is the same woman who had jumped off a building without a plan. It would be totally like her to take the risk without thinking of the possible consequence. Especially when facing someone who had caused a person she loved - no matter how reluctantly - such deep pain. She most certainly can be stupid enough to attempt to use the Spirit King's power in place of her own. He had to get to her now, before she went too far!

Lapis' sword flew at him, forcing him to land to avoid being impaled. Spitting out dirt, Kazuma glowered at her. The barrier shook with the force of what sounded like explosions. Knowing his woman, he'd be willing to beg money she was firing her fireballs at the bastard.

"Out of my way." Kazuma ordered, voice little more than a growl of anger. He was tired of failing. Ayano needed him and this time, nothing was going to keep him from saving her. Lapis tilted her head to the side.

"I do not understand. Why do you continue to fight? There is no hope for a future for that woman. She was doomed when she was born. You should give up and flee now." She said, sounding almost... Concerned for him.

He swallowed hard. Bernhardt said that Lapis was made from the last thoughts and feelings of Tsui-Ling. Was it possible that, now that some time had passed after their reunion, she was letting go of that anger? Was his Tsui-Ling still in there, somewhere?Did she love him still, could he be forgiven?

_Could the Spirit King of Fire bring her back?_

Kazuma grabbed his head. _Don't be confused. Don't be tricked. You know she is not Tsui-Ling. That woman is dead. Let her go now. Focus! Remember which woman taught you how to be strong, and honorable? Remember which woman makes your body burn? Which woman holds your heart? Has probably always held it?_ Kazuma, surprisingly, didn't have to think too hard.

He briefly closed his eyes as another explosion shook the ground. _'For even considering, for just a moment, to let you die... I'll spend my whole life trying to become worthy of you, my flame princess.'_

"Ayano is not going to die. I refuse to allow another woman I love to leave me like this. Now get out. Of. My. Way!" He shouted as his anger and fear mixed, exploding into an uncontrollable maelstrom of air around him that forced Lapis back. She grabbed a tree to stop herself from sliding. His wind kept buffeting her with gusts, immobilizing her.

She wouldn't be able to interfere now. And he hadn't had to kill her. Maybe it was cowardly, but no matter how evil or vile Lapis was... she looked like Tsui-Ling. But he knows, that woman is dead. So it's time to focus on the one who is still alive, who makes him crazy on a level that Tsui-Ling was never capable of reaching. Kazuma faced the barrier, getting ready to blast it away, but then he felt the cry of the fire spirits. They were being pulled in rapidly, dangerously allowed to compile into one unstable mass of power inside the barrier. What in the world...?

Before he could wonder, the entire barrier exploded outward and he was knocked back a few feet by the force of the energy explosion. Raw fire power rolled over him, prickling his skin and heating his body but miraculously not burning him. The flames did not hard the garden or the building either. It was unlike Ayano to have the control to keep her flames from burning everything. This definitely wasn't his princess's power. But at least it wasn't burning him.

Lapis, on the other hand, was on fire. She dropped and rolled to put out the flames, but more took their place right away as the spirit energy kept pouring out. Kazuma ignored her, standing as the rolling energy cooled. Without hesitation, he rushed further into the garden, leaving the singed and burnt Lapis behind.

"Ayano!" Kazuma yelled her name, searching with all his powers for her. He had to find her. Releasing that much energy... The yoma mark on her, it had to be cleansed, now!

As he ran past a hedge he heard a pained groan. Backing up, Kazuma found a small gap in the hedge and slipped in. A fountain tinkled merrily in the middle of the secluded garden. His eyes landed on the flame hair spreading across the stones like blood, body still and unmoving. Standing over her was a ferociously familiar figure, his body badly burned. But alive. Kazuma felt the air around him shiver as his rage and fear agitated the wind spirits.

How the hell was he even alive?! _Was he still human anymore?_

"Get away from her, Bernhardt!" Kazuma shouted, calling his wind up around him. But Bernhardt didn't even seem to hear him. The evil bastard was staring at Ayano.

"Fascinating! Not only was a woman who wasn't a Contractor able to call upon the powers of a Spirit King, she was able to use it to defeat me." The burned man turned and faced Kazuma, eyes shining with sick admiration. "Truly, the power in the Kannagi blood is unfathomable."

Kazuma couldn't help the smirk which stretched across his face. "No, I think most of this was just Ayano. She isn't smart enough to know what she shouldn't be able to do, so she does it regardless, just because she wants to." He couldn't help the pride in his voice. She's amazing. Wonderful. _His_.

Bernhardt laughed and pulled his half mask out, putting it on his face. It only covered the half Kazuma had damaged. The other half was burned and raw from Ayano's flame. Somehow, it pleased Kazuma to see that they had both left their mark on this evil man. His woman wasn't weak. She'd fought back, done damage. However, it didn't appear as though the madman even felt the pain. Lapis appeared at his side, clothing burnt but body unharmed, silent and lifeless as she stared at Ayano's body and Kazuma.

"Perhaps. She is certainly extraordinary. It saddens me to lose her as a subject, and as a sacrifice, but this was a valuable learning experience. The power of the Spirits Kings is too unpredictable and dangerous to be utilized in a sacrifice. Come, Lapis. We must return and rework the plan." Bernhardt put an arm around Lapis and started walking off, looking at Kazuma as he passed. "I'm certain we will meet again soon. If your woman dies again, I would gladly do you the favor of making another gem for my collection, one that resembled her."

"I swear, I will kill you, Bernhardt." Kazuma growled, not moving from his spot. Ayano was more important than revenge right now. She was still alive, he could sense the flickering of her life. But if he was unable to save her... "Never forget that I will have your life."

The man had the gall to laugh. "Farewell for now." The two walked a few more paces, then vanished.

Kazuma took a moment to allow the anger to leech out of his body before he dashed over to Ayano, turning her over. She was out, eyes shut and body hanging in his grasp. Even more frightening, her skin was freezing to the touch, making him wince a little. The bruise on her arm was up across her shoulder to her slender neck, moving down her collarbone and disappearing into the robe covering her chest. She wasn't breathing easily, and her lungs rasped and wheezed with each difficult draw.

Without giving himself time to think about it, Kazuma tugged the tie of the robe out and flipped the edges apart, leaving Ayano bare in front of him. For a moment, he forgot how to breathe. Even with the horrid blackness taking her over, she was beautiful. Gleaming white skin, soft as the kiss of a rose, covered svelte muscles and long limbs that made him want to trace, touch, stroke and claim. That he wanted wrapped around him. Riding him.

_Later._

Choking his libido down, Kazuma tried to see what the damages of Ayano's recklessness were. The mark on her left leg was up past her thigh, the leading tendril of darkness swirling over her belly in a spiraling loop. The bruise from her left arm was more worrisome. Along with climbing up her neck, tendrils had snaked out across her velvet breast, one dark lash swishing around the soft pink of her aureola, reaching for her heart.

She started shaking in his arms, shivering so hard that it almost appeared that her body was convulsing. Those plush lips he'd fantasized about more than was probably legal were tinged blue. Her heart stuttered, and her lungs, he could hear them laboring. Ayano's body was failing. His heart hammered, and he quickly wrapped her naked form back into her robe, lifting her in his arms and running back to the inn.

Ayano didn't stir once even as he tucked her into the futon and piled as many blankets as he could find on top of her. She was just cold, lifeless beneath the sheets. The shaking continued even as he tried to rub warmth into her limbs. Her body needed purifying, now, and he could do it... but Ayano would never forgive him. She would hate him forever for taking something so precious from her, for denying her the right to choose. He knows her, knows how proud and independent she tries to be. And he would hate himself forever for doing something so heinous to her.

_But she would be alive... and she already loves you. She is a forgiving woman._

Kazuma cried out and grabbed fistfuls of his hair, rocking next to Ayano on the ground, chewing his lip so hard that it bled. What could he do? He couldn't just sit by and watch his woman die, but he also couldn't live with the consequences of saving her. He was torn inside. He wanted to save her, but he didn't want to make that kind of choice for her. And he's just not the kind of man who could - would - do that. This situation is... his worst case scenario.

"What am I supposed to do!?" He shouted, throwing his hands down and staring at his palms. Kazuma isn't the type to hesitation. He does what has to be done in order to save as many people as possible. In the past, this has caused him to commit some truly atrocious crimes. That's the reason that he has the nickname he has. Back when his wind was back, he only cared for results. But now, ever since he reunited with Ayano, he's learned from her. Despite her brash nature, Ayano cares for people, even her enemies. She wants to help, she desires to do the best she can, and in turn had taught him to do the same, though in a much less fatalistic way than her. So, as the man he has become, he cannot, will not, toss Ayano's personal wishes aside. Not even to save her.

A horrible gurgle erupted from Ayano's throat and then she stilled, lying like death on the futon. He couldn't even sense the faintest sense of life from her anymore. No heartbeat, no breath... no Ayano.

Tears burned his eyes. He hadn't cried since Tsui-Ling died. Not true tears. But a sob crawled out of him throat as he hung his head and reached out, grabbing Ayano's ice cold hand in his. "Princess... Ayano, please. Come on. _Fight_! I'm begging you, don't leave me." He whispered, the words breaking out of him.

_**'Tell me why she can't leave.'**_ The burning force of the voice washed over Kazuma and he started, raising his eyes to the woman lying in front of him. Ayano's eyes were open, but the eyes were not her naive, beautiful eyes. Instead, eyes of cold fire gold stared at him. Intense power crackles at his senses, almost blinding him. This was...

"The Spirit King of Fire." He whispered, feeling his heart shattering within him. Jugo and the Spirit King of Wind had both said that if the sleeping spirit awoke, that would mean... "Ayano's dead, then?" He whispered, a void opening up inside him that he knew he would never recover from. Ayano, Ayano... _Ayano_...

_**'Dead? No. We have traded places. My daughter is precious to me, and I could no longer stand for her to feel such pain.'**_ The spirit said, sitting up and pushing the mound of fabric off her body. She slid her legs beneath her and watched Kazuma carefully, consideration growing in her gaze. It was strange to see another person staring at him out of Ayano's face. _**'You are Kaze's, yes? Tell me why.'**_ She repeated her order, the bite of the flame in her voice almost bowling him over.

Kazuma struggled to speak. Ayano wasn't dead yet? Then maybe there was a way for him to save her. "Yes, I'm the Contractor of Wind. Kazuma Yagami." He said, not knowing why he introduced himself. Surely the Spirit King had access to Ayano's memories. Still, it couldn't hurt to try to be polite. This spirit didn't seem very similar to the one he was contracted to. She seemed more formal, older, more dangerous, somehow. He was being careful. To anger her would be to lose Ayano, and he knows better than anyone how unpredictable fire magic users are. She leaned forward, robe gaping so that he could see her breasts, and sniffed him.

_**'Yagami? You are a Kannagi. I recognize my own blood. Does not matter. If you chose to discard the name I won't stop you. It is the heart which makes the man, not the name. Since my last rebirth, the Kannagi seem to have forgotten that.'**_ The Spirit King sat back and stared unblinkingly at Kazuma. It was unnerving to see such an emotionless Ayano looking at him. She was always showing her feelings on her face, the constant shifting of emotions part of what made attracted him to her.

"I do agree with you, for the most part. The branch families especially are obsessed with the Kannagi name. Even Ayano, to an extent." Kazuma sighed. "But she's also a good person, in her heart. She cares about people. Even me, and I sure as hell don't deserve it."

The spirit shook her head._** 'No. You are much like Kaze. Rude, brash, perverted, arrogant, egocentric, and many other negative things. But you are not bad. You aren't undeserving of my love. Or my daughter's. I am Phoenix, embodiment of life, spirit of fire and passion. So is this girl. I am her, and she is me. So do not be afraid of this love.'** _Her voice warmed a little as she spoke of love, a softer, almost childlike cast coming to her eyes. Then it vanished, the inhuman calm falling over her once again. She reached out and grabbed Kazuma's face, her hands so hot that he felt scalded. But he didn't push away. He was held by the spirit's gaze._** 'It is a power that can kill, but fire can also cleanse. Let it cleanse you of your past. She willingly offers that to you.'**_

He shook his head. "Don't tell me that! She can't offer anything if she's dead. Look at the darkness poisoning her body!" He snapped, reaching out and pulling the robe off Ayano's shoulders. The Spirit blinked and looked down at herself. Then she smiled and Kazuma's heart stuttered at the beauty of the expression as it broke over Ayano's face. Ayano never really smiled at him, so seeing it now, even if driven by another soul... his heart sped up. He loves her smile. When he took her into the Ferris wheel and she smiled at the sunset, he'd about taken her into his arms then. The Spirit tossed her head, drawing his attention again.

_**'This? This is nothing to my white flames. They purify life itself. But if I use them on my daughter, I will be forced into slumber again. I do not take well to containment.'** _She said, twirling a strand of Ayano's hair through her hands, eyes slanting to the side in a look he could only see as dark. Judgmental. Her actions confused him. One moment she seems to be a kind and caring woman and the next a manipulative force of nature. Which one is the true Spirit King?_** 'Besides, if I live, the Kannagi will gain power, which includes you, since you share my blood. I would grant you another contract, with me, so that you can finally use fire magic. Image how you could purify the family, if you were a double Contractor.'**_

"I'm not even tempted." Kazuma said, startling himself. "If you had offered this to me before I'd known Ayano, the answer would have been yes. I was so power hungry then. Even a few months ago, I probably would have taken it. But... no. No power is worth Ayano's life." He drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and stared straight at the Spirit King. "I'd be willing to revoke my contract with the Spirit King of Wind, if you would use your flames to save Ayano."

Her eyes widened._** 'Give up power? Why?'** _She asked. Kazuma just shook his head.

"There's no reason for me to have it if I failed to protect her. I swore when I got this power that I would save those who I met with it. And when I reunited with Ayano, I added to my oath. I swore to protect her from pain. I've managed to break both those oaths. So I no longer have the right to keep it." He whispered.

At his words, the Spirit King smiled wider, her entire demeanor shifting. She stopped radiating that intense but cold power and instead sent out the heady warmth of lovers showing their feelings in the most intimate of ways. That heat wrapped Kazuma up. It was almost like she was a completely different person. Well, it made sense. She was a being of fire. She burns with the true form of fire, and is always changing, shifting. That it why wind and fire get along so well. They are, at their core, the same.

A soft laugh rolled through the room like a wave of heat. The Spirit King smiled at Kazuma._** 'Very good. I am sorry, but I had to make sure. When last I appeared, none had any heart for the woman who I lived as and I cried. I do not want to make the same mistake again, so I had to test you. You have passed.'**_A brief smile flickered across her face as she gazed at Kazuma like a mother would look at her child._** 'I can do many things, Kazuma Yagami. What would you have of me?'** _She asked, tilting her head to the side.

_'We lost our precious leader that day, but learned the truth. The loss of her unconquerable spirit could have been prevented, had only we the courage to ask it of the Spirit King.'_ The words from the book echoed in his head. Without any hesitation, Kazuma opened his mouth and spoke.

"Save Ayano. Purify her body, return her flames, and let her live. I don't think I can stand to not have the princess bothering me for the rest of my life." He said, smirking at her.

_**'This request I am happy to grant. I see that not all in my blood have lost sight of the true source of all our power. I will restore my daughter, and sleep again. In truth, I enjoy your antics together more than being a Spirit King, anyway. The paperwork is such a drag. I hope she continues to cause you problems for many more years to come, Kazuma Yagami.'**_ She closed her eyes and lifted her hands, two white flames appearing in her palms. The fire grew in power and intensity, until Kazuma couldn't even look at them. Just when he thought the fire was going to burst out of control, it seemed to liquefy and roll over her entire body. The dark bruises hissed and steamed as the white flames ate away at them, a noxious smell growing in the air as the shadows were slowly forced away. Inky blackness dripped from the marks onto the futon, only to be burned away by a stray flick of flame.

After a long moment, the spirit let out her breath and opened her eyes. She appeared tired._**'She has been cleansed. Now, you can restore her flames.'**_ Kazuma was happy to see Ayano's smooth, unblemished skin. He reached out and felt her body starting to return to normal. Her skin held the normal healthy glow of life, not the corpse like pallor which had invaded her for the last few hours. He even felt a slight growth of spirit energy inside of Ayano, like her body was trying to take in the fire spirits again, though it was far below the level she needed to recover that wealth of energy she normally exhibited.

"Thank you. You're not all that bad yourself, you know, for a pyromaniac." Kazuma said, his relief overpowering his caution. She didn't seem upset by the title, though. In her case, it was probably true. "But how can I restore her flames?"

The Spirit King of Fire giggled and lifted a finger._** 'Oh, child... you're not bad either, for a blustery pervert. As for your question... how does one usually build a fire inside a woman?'** _He rolled his eyes. Are all the Spirit Kings this lascivious? Snickering, she kissed his cheek lightly and sat on her knees, smirking back at him. _I guess she is like the Spirit King of Wind, after all._ Still smiling, she closed her eyes and the power filling the room suddenly left. Ayano's body swayed. Kazuma leapt forward and caught her.

She groaned a little and reached up, rubbing her eyes. The motion caused the robe to gape even more and Kazuma bit down on his tongue, hard. Someone was testing him, and he'd bet anything it was a Spirit King... Then those fire bright eyes, the ones he loved to see spitting mad and soft with an almost lover-like warmth, slowly blinked open. If he were a man to weep, Kazuma would have cried as Ayano blearily stared up at him. As it were, he just tightened his hold on her.

"Hmm? Kazuma, what the heck? I was fighting Bernhardt, and then I - WHY IS MY ROBE OPEN, YOU PERVERTED EXCUSE FOR A HUMAN BEING!?" He laughed as she hit him on the head, letting her slip free of his grasp. He was just too relieved. That reaction was typical Ayano. She's alright.

In her anger, she clapped her hands together to summon Enraiha. To both of their surprise, the wooden sword appeared in a little puff of smoke. Ayano held it up, mouth open, and pointed at him. Kazuma smirked at her expression.

"Seriously, Princess, are you stupid? The yoma mark on your body has been removed. You're not cold anymore, and your body is once again taking in the natural spirit energy, though we will have to kickstart the process to truly restore your flame ourselves. What do you think happened?" He asked.

For a moment, her face blanked, then he could see the fire rising in her her eyes. "KA-ZU-MAAAAAA!" She shrieked, lifting Enraiha high and charging forward. He enjoyed the vision of her thighs flashing in the gap of the robe for a moment, then blocked her attack and shifted, using her momentum to flip her over so he could pin her under him on the blankets scattered around them.

"Cool it, hothead. Not even I'm that much of a cad. The Spirit King of Fire woke up and I convinced her to save you." He said. The heat drained out of her almost instantly and she stared up at him. He became aware of how his weight held her down, the heated press of her warming body against his. _Snap out of it, Kazuma! This is not the time to be getting excited!_

"You convinced her? Why? You could have left me to die and gotten rid of the annoying princess." She asked, eyes starting to show the hurt which had sparkled in them when he'd forced her to confess to him. He silently cursed himself for being such an ass.

"Have I ever said that you're annoying, Ayano?" He asked, trying to get her to stop making him feel guilty. Which only she and his little brother had the ability to make him feel. He didn't like it.

"Yes. You have. Many times, actually. You've also called me an idiot, stupid, hot headed, worthless and many other things." She countered matter-of-factly.

Kazuma sighed. "Okay... let's back up a little." He said, sitting and pulling her up as well. She tucked her legs away underneath herself, lifter her chin, and crossed her arms, waiting. Maybe it's best that she doesn't know that when she get's haughty like this he gets seriously turned on? Yeah, that's probably for the best...

Ayano watched him suspiciously, clearly not sure what he was trying to do. He didn't even know, but he had to clear up this misunderstanding. It wasn't going to be easy though. He'd gone out of his way to make her think that she had no effect on him, after all. Stupid pride, stupid stupid pride.

He blew out a breath. "You were the one who stopped me when I reverted back to my black wind self, Ayano. Not Ren, not Catherine, you. I held onto you when I was upset about Lapis. You. Haven't you figured that out yet, Ayano? I am civil to Kirika and Catherine, even Misao, but I'm rude and obnoxious to you. Come on, you have to have a brain in that head of yours somewhere, though I'm in serious doubt over it's capacity." He said.

Her mouth fell open and she stared at him. "What?! You treat me differently because I'm a Kannagi, right? Because you don't like me. That's it. There isn't anything else to understand. And stop calling me stupid, you jerk! I have average grades in school, just so you know, and I'm really good at P.E.!" She shouted, hands rising to try and hit him again.

Kazuma grabbed her wrists, sighing. They will never be able to clear things up with words. He can't stop making her angry and she's so spirited and dense that she won't listen to him anyway. They are both driven by actions more than words. A smile flirted around his mouth. Not that he minds.

Yanking her forward by her wrists, he slid one arm around behind her and did what he had been dreaming of from almost the moment they reunited. He leaned down and claimed her mouth as his own. Her eyes widened and her hands spasmed before slackening in his grip. Kazuma deepened the kiss, letting his tongue sneak out to taste the soft blush of her lips. Ayano's heart pounded against his chest. He didn't want to push her too far, or scare her, so he withdrew just enough so he could stare into her eyes, tasting her breath as she gasped, trying to understand what he'd just done. But, for once, the girl - woman - didn't snap back with a saucy comment.

_Hmm... so that shuts her up. I'll have to remember that..._

"W-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-what was that?" She stammered, unable to speak above a breathy whisper. Knowing he'd caused that husky voice, the heat infusing her face, caused Kazuma's will to waver a bit, but he clamped down on his desire and rested his forehead against hers. _Don't jump Ayano, don't seduce her..._

"That, Princess, was a kiss. I'll give you another one if you're not clear on it." He started to lean in for another, but she shoved her hands against his face and turned to the side. She was still in his arms, so he didn't mind. Plus, the curve of her neck into her shoulder fascinated him.

"But... why would you kiss me? I don't understand? Don't you dislike me?" She asked in a tiny voice. Alright, that's enough. He is going to get through to this dense idiot if its the last thing he does! Kazuma grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him.

Her eyes were confused. How could he explain this to her so she will understand, but without damaging his pride? Kazuma knows the type of manga she reads, the books she enjoys, where the male leads spout romantic fluff to their women every third page. It was sickening, and there was no way in hell he was imitating them, but Ayano might not recognize his feelings unless he spelled them out in terms she understood. Ah, hell with it. Kazuma isn't a coward. If his little brother can admit his feelings to a girl, then there was no way in hell Kazuma, as Ren's older brother, wasn't going to do it. He can't let the twerp get the one up on him.

"I kiss you, Ayano, because I love you! You're an idiot, a spoiled princess, a Kannagi, and impulsive, but despite all that, you're the one who helped me to live again and you're my woman. I'm a possessive, jealous man, so once I've claim you, I'm not letting you go. Which is why I have been trying to hold back, but you keep tempting me. So it's your fault." He said, adopting an arrogant tone because he knew it would piss her off. She was less likely to deal with the embarrassing things if she was angry.

But for once, his princess didn't rise to the bait. She slowly turned to face him, her eyes shimmering. A soft hand rose and touched his face, the contact searing him. She leaned closer. His breath caught. What was she - Her eyes flared up and she head butted him. Pain flared up and he yelped, letting her go to press a hand to his forehead while she whimpered and held hers.

"Ouch! Ayano!" He yelled, holding his head as it rang from the force of her blow.

"You have a terrible way of showing affection, you perverted idiot!" She shouted, launching herself into his arms and holding onto him so tightly that his ribs protested. He told them to shut up and wrapped his right back around her. Finally, at last, he had his princess in his arms. Her fire and wood smoke scent drifted around him, and he felt all his pain and fears fading away. _Ayano..._

For long moments, he just held her, content to feel her warmth in his arms. She seemed to be similarly inclined, not shifting an inch even when he tried to move her so that he could restore circulation to the leg she was sitting on. But, Ayano was in a thin, short robe which was gaping open, and he was a man. If she didn't get off him soon... they would have problems. Kazuma is proud of his ability to resist the girl, but this was too much. An assault to his body and his heart? No way he could withstand that.

"You said I needed to kickstart my inner flame." She mumbled against his chest, not lifting her head to speak to him at all. Kazuma looked down at the flame hair spilling across him and stroke a hand through the silken soft strands. Her hair was sinful, cool and like satin in his hands. He's had many dreams about her hair since he'd dared to touch it at her house after Pandemonium. "How?"

_She get's right to the point._ He smiled. Guess that is why he loves her so much. "If I'm understanding the two Kings of Perversion correctly, then we need to arouse your emotions and body as much as possible so that you unconsciously start absorbing spirits in the correct quantity again." Kazuma said, leaning over to nuzzle his nose into her hair.

Ayano stiffened in his arms, then turned her head so she could see him, eyes sparking with anger. "What?" She asked lowly. He shrugged.

"Hey, I'm not the one who said it. The Spirit Kings did." He pointed out. Ayano blew out a breath and faced the front again. He could feel the slight tremble of her body, so he took pity on her even as his body screamed at him to shut up. "That doesn't mean we actually have to do the entire thing, though. Now that I don't have to purify your body, there's no pressing need to rush things between us. I can arouse you without even needing to actually join with you."

"Really?" Oh, sweet, innocent, Ayano... Kazuma sighed. _Jugo... you need to have Cousin Akira have a talk with Ayano... sooner, rather than later._

"Yes, really, Princess. So, yay or nay? Even if you decide not to, after a few weeks of rest and no magic, your body will regain it's natural balance." He asked, leaning over her shoulder to see her eyes. Ayano gnawed on her lip, staring ahead. Then she giggled. "Ayano?"

"Well, since you're twenty-two and I'm only sixteen, I think I'll have to say nay just so Detective Tachibana doesn't have to try and find a way to lock you up for being perverted." She said, her laughter growing. Kazuma smiled, then leaned down and bit where her neck met her shoulder, wetting the soft skin with his tongue and sucking lightly to leave a mark. She squeaked, the laughter abruptly cutting off.

"Alright, but remember, the longer I'm denied the stronger my appetites grow. And I reserve the right to kiss you at any time." He said, leaving a trail of light kisses up her neck until he reached her ear. Kazuma drew the soft lobe between his teeth and bit down gently. She shivered deliciously in his arms.

"You're disgusting." Ayano spoke without much heat, even tilting her head to the side so her fire hair slipped aside, exposing more skin for him to taste. After resisting for so long, he was like a starved man presented with a feast. But like the starving man, Kazuma was going to take his time enjoying the meal in small portions. Ayano was right about her age. She's a little young yet. He has no doubts about the woman she was becoming, but he wanted her to grow even more before he took her to his bed. The tension of waiting for her would be wonderfully arousing. And no one said they couldn't play. Thanks to Jugo's persistence, he has almost unlimited access to Ayano at any time. He wasn't going to let their relationship return to what it had been before. Not when her taste was in his mouth, and her body presses against his. Having tasted the pleasure, felt the heat of her, he was never letting her escape him.

He fell to his back, dragging her over him. Locking his arms around her so she couldn't pull away, he claimed her lips again. This time, Ayano's hands curled on his chest, clutching the fabric of his shirt. Even that innocent, gentle touch made his body shiver. Holding her tighter, he allowed his tongue to slip out and nudge at the seam of her lips.

After a moment's hesitation, Ayano parted her lips and allowed him inside. He dove in, the hot interior of her mouth a heaven he could explore for hours, days. It was clear that she didn't know how to kiss - he's been pretty good at stalking her while she's at school to keep annoying pests away - but he didn't care. He slipped his tongue alongside hers, nudging to help guide it in the dance of a truly deep kiss.

She touched his tongue back with hers, heat flaring all over her body. He could feel it through the magically - thankfully - thin robe. Kazuma choked back the instincts demanding he roll, cage her under him and plunder. Ayano is skittish, uncertain. He wasn't going to scare her was going to lead, show her how to play in the most intimate way. His heart thundered against his ribs. Kazuma had a burning suspicion that she would be very good at playing with him. Tentatively, she stroke his side through his shirt, a caress he almost didn't feel it was so light.

He lifted his mouth off hers for a moment, then dove back in, changing his angle of attack so that he could delve deeper. This time her tongue didn't hesitate to twine around his, dueling for dominance inside her mouth.

Had kissing ever been this hot before? He couldn't recall, nor did he care to try. Kazuma's hands slid down Ayano's form, tracing the subtle curves she habitually hid under her school uniform. His fingers found the hem of the robe, and twitched. Before he could control himself, he started inching the silken fabric up, the heat of the skin burning, edging him on -

_"Blast of wind kono mama!"_ Kazuma jerked when the song started playing, pulling away from kissing Ayano. That was Ren's ringtone. The kid had picked it out himself, thought it was a great joke. Personally, Kazuma thought it a little weird, but he couldn't resist the kid's puppy eyes. He closed his eyes and willed the ringing to go away, hands kneading the firm skin at Ayano's he ignored it, he could keep touching Ayano... she might not let him do this again.

"Kazuma, answer the phone." She whispered, lips wet and swollen. She knocked his hands away and stood, rushing to where her shopping bag still sat in the middle of the floor and fleeing to the bathroom. For a moment, Kazuma remained where he was, on his back, but as the ringtone started to repeat, he groaned and got up, walking uncomfortably to where his phone lay forgotten across the room.

He flipped it open. "Ren." He growled in his most displeased voice. He could picture his brother's eyes growing big and weepy on the other end of the phone.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to say such rude things to you! I know you were worried about Ayano and spoke without thinking!" Ren burst out, tears in his voice. Kazuma sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. This kid... _Don't take out your sexual frustrations on your little brother, you cad..._

"No, I'm sorry, Ren. I shouldn't have said that, no matter what was going on. It wasn't right. Forgive me?" He asked, the words stumbling awkwardly off his tongue. Who would have thought he even knew the word 'forgive?' It certainly wasn't a normal part of his vocabulary.

"Okay!" Ren chirped, going from sad to happy instantly. What a damn resilient kid. "Oh, but I called because all of the sudden, the fire spirits started growing stronger. Jugo is afraid something is wrong with Ayano." Worry laced the boy's tones.

In the heat of the moment, Kazuma had forgotten, but the spirits of fire were bound to have reacted to the Spirit King's brief return. Which means those sensitive to them, like the Kannagi head family, would have felt that something was going on.

"No, she's fine. Actually, we found a way to purify her that she agreed to without me needing to do anything. Her inner fire is pretty weak though, so after she recovers from the drain the yoma mark left on her, we'll be returning to the city." He said, staring at the bathroom door.

Once they returned, Ayano would belong to her family again. They would put pressures on her, force her to push herself, and secretly try to get her out of the way so that others could take her place. His anger rose at the thought. Now that he had tasted her lips, knew the heat of her flesh, he didn't want to let her go at all.

"You saved her?! I knew you would, Kazuma!" Ren cheered, waves of adoration practically pouring through the phone. "Just in time, too. Ayano's birthday is tomorrow."

Kazuma blinked. "Her birthday?" He repeated. Come to think of it, Ayano was a summer child. She'd been talking about something like that a few weeks ago. He'd completely forgotten. He didn't know if he should wince at his mistake or just accept that he was a careless jackass most of the time. Sadly, he was leaning towards the latter choice.

"Yup! I'll go tell Jugo the good news. Tell Ayano I said happy birthday if you aren't going to come back in time for me to say it in person, okay? And Kazuma... thank you for saving Ayano. We all need her." Ren's voice was soft but serious as he hung up. Kazuma dropped the phone on the desk.

_I couldn't agree more._

She was important to so many people, just because she was Ayano. A beautiful, vibrant, caring, strong woman upon whom people depended. It was different from how people depended upon him. They needed him because he was strong, but they needed her because she never gave up or let the situation stop her from doing what had to be done. She was tenacious, and she had heart, giving a feeling of peace and comfort. He tended to terrify people even when helping them.

The door to the bathroom opened and Ayano stepped out in the dollar store jeans and shirt. Her face was bright red and she refused to look at him. He stifled a sigh. She's also incredibly, dangerously, pure.

"Ren wishes you a happy birthday. We'll be going back to the city tomorrow evening, so you probably won't get to see him in time for the actual congratulations." He said, looking away from her face. "Rest here tomorrow. Consider it my birthday present to you."

Ayano licked her lips and shifted on her heels. "Hey, Kazuma... can I... place an advanced order on a present?" She asked. Curious, he lifted and an eyebrow and shoved his hands into his he was going to grab her again. He silently sent a prayer to anyone listening that Ayano was unaware of how incredibly beautiful she was to him, and how just the sight of her blushing face could wreck his unshakable control.

"What is it?" He asked.

She bit her lip, then set her jaw and walked over, grabbing his shoulder so she could lean against him and whisper nine words in his ear that made his eyes widen, then a dangerous smirk settle over his face. His hands curled possessively around her waist.

"Oh yeah, princess, consider that pre-ordered." He growled, leaning down once again to claim her lips. He wasn't certain if he was going to be able to survive a year until then, but for Ayano, he'd do anything. Even give himself blue balls and an almost endless amount of bedsheets and laundry. Kazuma couldn't wait to make Ayano's eighteenth birthday wish come true. This event had shown him exactly how much she meant to him and he was no longer going to take chances with her life. She will belong completely to him. He wouldn't let it be any other way.

-Note: Hey, aren't I a horrible tease? Yeah, so the next chapter will be the last one. And guess whaaaaaat? You want sexy times? You're about to have your wish granted. Next chapter is gonna be hooooooooot and super duper awesome. I hope. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll be posting the last one as soon as I finish it! -


	11. Chapter 11

-Note: Dirty nasty sticky sweaty things ahead. If you don't like, skip down to about the end. A large portion of this section is just pure HOTNESS!-

"Happy birthday, Ayano!" I smiled as Nanase and Yukari joined in the chorus of people singing and smiling as the cook brought in a cake. I sat at the head of a low table, Father beside me, as people streamed in, carrying cards and gifts, all looking happy. It was all a little overwhelming, to be honest, but... I'm eighteen! Finally! It's been a crazy year. Ever since I came back from having my inner fire sucked away, things have been moving so fast for me. School, college in the future, and even my position in the family, it's all changed. I guess it's because I'm maturing.

I'm officially taking over some of Father's non-business duties now, such as handling and assigning exorcisms for low level cases. People call me asking for my expert opinion on what to do, if it is a yoma or a spirit. I get to set up the meetings with some higher level clients, though the ones attending those meetings are still Father and Cousin Genma. I tend to anger people, since I can't stop insulting them. But seriously, the last guy I met with had this ugly toupee and kept trying to flirt with me, so I'd burned it off his head. Father didn't let me attend meetings after that. He says I'm not quite ready yet.

I have other jobs, too, now. Father allows me to work on training some of my younger cousins, though he still is the only one allowed to train me, for logistical and safety reasons. In the year since I learned about the Spirit King sleeping within me, my control over the Crimson Flame has gotten better. I can now almost summon it as effortlessly as I call upon Enraiha. Which means my fire is sometimes too hot for other's to handle. And occasionally, my Crimson Flames are tinged a little blue, but there's no way I'm telling Cousin Genma, though I think maybe he knows. His gift to me implies he does, anyway.

I've also gotten better at studying recently. The incident with Bernhardt and my woeful lack of knowledge taught me that I need to be more aware of my history, so I spent weeks while waiting for my flames to fully recover with Cousin Akira in the library, pouring over the old records. Which were all as boring and dry as expected, and I still can't really remember the information in them, but I'm giving it an effort! Cousin Akira says I should try again in a few years, when I may be able to focus a little better. Don't know that she means, but I think I'll take her up on the offer anyway. Those old accounts are just boring, though! The only ones that I found remotely interesting were the ones about the first Kannagi and my ancestor of five hundred years ago, who both knew the Spirit King of Fire, though in different ways.

As for the family, they've all more or less accepted me as the heir now. Some of the far branch members still feel that since my power was taken from me once, I'm not qualified to be the heir, but they are a very small number. Father has mostly shut them up. Shortly after I'd returned with Enraiha, I'd been forced to prove to all the family that my fire was indeed back. So many members now know that I could control the Crimson Flames, which made me something of a legend since I'm so young, though very few people actually knew why I am so strong. Father only shared the truth of my power with a few of the family elders, and Genma and Ren, of course. So things with my status as the next heir were more or less settled, though I think one of the younger elders is waiting for me to die so he can see the Spirit King. But, I'm alive, the official heir, and I've got that spunky spirit under control. For now, until something else happens. Because I'm Ayano Kannagi and I can't ever have things be easy for me, I don't think...

"Ayano!" I looked up as Ren came running in, green eyes glowing. He'd grown a little taller in the past year, hitting a sudden growth spurt which had surprised almost everyone. I'd kind of expected it, though. Cousin Genma is rather tall, after all. Ren was almost the same height as me now. But he's still such a sweet kid, trying to placate everyone and spreading joy and happiness everywhere he went. Seriously, I wonder how he can be related to Cousin Genma and his other hellish spawn. He's just too cheerful. I lifted my arms and let him grab me in a tight hug. But I like Ren, so I don't ever want him to change.

"Kazuma's waiting for you behind the koi pond." Ren whispered in my ear, pulling free and sending a smile my way that was a little too much like his older brother's for my comfort. Maybe he is more like those two than I thought. I felt my face flush a shade of red close in color to my hair and looked away, heart pounding, as he walked off to chat with his two school friends who'd been invited as well. Kazuma... just the mention of his name got my heart pounding.

That's something else which has changed in the past year. Though we still argue and fight almost every time we work together, Kazuma and I... our relationship is no longer that of maybe distant family or reluctant partners. Shortly after he'd returned me to my home, Kazuma had disappeared for a few weeks while I recovered and no one could find him, but the day Father declared me well enough to go out again, he'd just shown up, telling Father he was ready and willing to be my bodyguard again... for awhile.

Turns out that Kazuma had been travelling, letting all the people he'd worked with in other countries before know that he was making the city his permanent home for the foreseeable future. He'd also put some of his money down on an apartment, moving out of the hotel suite he'd habitually inhabited since his return the year before. It was no less lavish and resplendent than the suite, though the location was closer, which made Ren happy.

The younger boy was also ecstatic when he'd barged into his brother's apartment one day after we'd been on a mission to find the perverted wind mage pinning me against the wall, groping me. Instead of rushing to my rescue like he obviously should have, Ren had flushed red, smiled, and left without saying anything. Or saving me from his brother's hands. I'd tried to explain when I'd gotten home that night, but Ren wouldn't listen. He'd just smiled at me and said he was happy for us. And after that, Ren stopped tagging along on my missions unless purification was requested, letting me to believe that the brat had blabbed to Father. Well, and because Father smiled whenever I was escorted back home by my incorrigible bodyguard, buttons askew on my uniform. Kazuma didn't seem to mind it, though, because with Ren gone, he was able to, as he put it, "play" with me more.

And boy, does he play.

Heat built higher in me and I quietly excused myself from the party, running to my room and flopping down onto the bed. Some of the things I've done with Kazuma in the last year... I can't even handle the memories! They alone are enough to make my breath grow short and make my body boil. I've always know that Kazuma is a pervert, but I have learned first hand just how much of one he truly really is. His imagination and desire are both more potent than I had ever dreamed they'd be.

About a month after my recovery, Kazuma and I had returned to his apartment after finishing a mission. It had been a routine exorcism, nothing tenuous, so we'd finished with a few extra hours to spare. After buying me dinner - fancy dinner, my request - Kazuma had just taken me to his home. Not that I'd really argued. He'd started kissing me almost before we were through the door. Thanks to having him constantly stealing my lips, I've gotten pretty good at kissing, so we were fighting hard, trying to control the make-out session, when he'd slipped his hands under my blouse. After I'd stopped throwing fireballs his way and calmed down, he'd coaxed me into taking the blouse off completely so he could caress my skin. His hands were cool on my skin, but the contact made me warm. Kazuma's kisses had become so hungry, almost bruising in their intensity, as soon as he'd touched me.

A week after that, he'd taken his shirt off as well as we kissed on his couch, pulling me against him so I could feel his heart pounding against mine. His skin was slightly dry and covered in scars. When I traced them with my fingertips, lightly, he'd shuddered against me, breath becoming ragged until he'd pinned my arms over my head and claimed my lips until I couldn't tell up from down. And so it had gone, each encounter seeing more and more of our clothes removed and getting hotter and more dangerous until, just a few weeks ago, I'd been splayed naked on his bed.

I made a sound like a strangling rabbit and covered my face. Even now, I don't know why I never protest against what Kazuma wants to do with me. I have no problem going against him in our missions or even when we are just hanging out with Ren, but the moment we are alone, when I see that fire rising in his eyes my will melts. And he knows it, the bastard. So when we were rolling on his sheets last week and he'd asked if he could... taste me... I'd let him. I'd let Kazuma pull my panties off and put his mouth on me there and - we'd almost gone all the way, then. He'd been breathing so hard when he'd suddenly pulled me tight against his body, entire frame burning with heat and muscles coiled so tightly I was afraid he was going to hurt himself. And against my stomach, I'd felt him, a hard brand of masculinity. His voice little more than a growl, he'd told me that he was at the end of his control. He wasn't going to see me again, until it was time to give me my birthday present, the one I'd asked for in advance.

And he hadn't. For the last week, I've done missions alone. But I can feel him near by, watching over me. The air... I don't know how, but I've become sensitive to the feel of him in the air. So I know when he's close. Like now. There is a charge in the air, a sense of expectation, that I know is Kazuma. He's here to give me what I wanted.

_'In a year, I want you to take me.'_ The words I had whispered in Kazuma's ear a year ago circled around in my head. They had seemed so daring then, but now... I want nothing more than to become Kazuma's woman.

I still don't really know why he fell for me in the first place. I'm not gentle like Tsui-Ling, or even all that kind. I'm stubborn and uncooperative, dominating and brash. But, if he loves me, I'm not crazy enough to let him go. Kazuma is an amazing man. A flawed man, but one whom I admire and respect all the more for being strong enough to admit he has faults. Which, he'd told me, he learned from me. Don't know how, since I hate admitting I can't do something, but I'm not gonna try to show the truth to him. I want him to stay with me.

Our relationship isn't perfect, by any means. We argue all the time, and for a few weeks last month, I hadn't spoken to him, he'd made me so mad. He still flirts with everything that is female in sight, making me jealous, and I still charge into things without thinking, driving him insane. We are constantly at each other's throats because in many ways we are complete polar opposites, but even then, I still love him. Kazuma is the only one who I can truly let myself go with because I know that no matter how my power spins out, he can handle it. He can take me at my wildest and my worst, because he loves me enough. He is the only man for me, I know that now. No one else is strong enough, dangerous enough, to excite me. Which is why I strive to give him my best, so that he will never fall out of love with me. But he's gonna have to work to keep me, as well. I won't allow myself to ever be taken for granted, especially not by Kazuma the jerkface.

He's possessive, in the worst and best of ways. Other guys who try to flirt with me at school usually end up being tormented by fits of extreme clumsiness until they leave me alone. Kazuma stalks me when I'm out and about on my own business. He's yelled at me for talking to men, and put wind barriers around me so that males who get too close are pushed away. But at the same time, he's saved me from situations, even when I am perfectly capable of saving myself. He holds me close and refuses to let go.

A sigh broke free of my lips. Why am I still in here? Kazuma is waiting for me.

Sitting up, I check my appearance in the mirror, then snicker at myself. He could care less what I'm wearing; he's going to rip it off me anyway. Cheeks flushed, I rush out of my room, past where the birthday party is being held, and run into the garden. It's most empty, a few party guests walking around to enjoy the beauty. I ignore the garden sights and dash around the koi pond to a large tree near the back of the property.

Kazuma was leaning against the tree. He turned as I ran up, the look in his eyes making my entire body tingle. Such heat. He's still a Kannagi, at his core, I think. "Hey, Princess." He said, pushing away from the trunk and walking over to me, hands sliding out of his pockets to loosely grip my elbows. "Are you sure you really want this? I'm not letting you go once I -"

I stopped his words by summoning Enraiha and pointing the flame sword at him. "Kazuma, if you back out now, you're not a man." I snapped, laughing as he let me go to push the sword away from his chin. I vanished it. "I want my birthday present, Kazuma. Once I make up my mind, you know I don't change it very easily."

He chuckled. "Don't I know it. You're one stubborn woman, Ayano." He said, looking across the pond to the party still going on. "If you want, we can stay for awhile longer. Jugo did put on this big production, after all."

My hair tangled around his arm when I shook my head. "Not really. The elders and the branch families wanted the party. Father already gave me my gift yesterday. So did Ren, and Cousin Genma." I said. He stiffened a little at the mention of his father. Despite my best efforts, those two continue to be unable to reconcile, though Ren was now taking over the task of making father and son stop fighting. I wish him more luck than I'd had.

"What'd the old man give you?" He asked, sliding an arm around my waist. I leaned against him.

"A photo album filled with embarrassing pictures of you when you were little."

"What?!" The wind whipped up, tangling around me in a pseudo-caress I loved. Sometimes I anger him on purpose just to feel his wind around me.

I giggled at his face. "Joking, sorry. He gave me some lessons on controlling powerful flames, and told me that if I ever needed help he would give it. Which is nice of him, considering he usually only trains Ren." Kazuma shook his head.

"Willingly training with that bastard is a form of self-torture, but I already knew your masochistic tendencies since you are dating me." He muttered, looking down at me with a smirk. I elbowed him hard, but he didn't move from my side. Jerk. "If you don't want to stay and you're certain, then let's go already. I have a present to give." The look in his eyes made me shiver. Maybe I wasn't completely certain yet about his feelings, and I still have my moments when I doubt my own, but there's no way I'm going to stop this. I'm Ayano Kannagi, and I'm a woman who knows what she wants and goes after it. I don't back down.

Turning, I let him wrap his arms around me fully, resting my head on his shoulder. The water on the pond started to ripple as he called up his wind and we rose lazily into the air. Looking down, I saw Ren standing on the porch, shielding his eyes as he waved at me, a huge grin splitting his face. Does he even know what's going on here? Next to him, my Father smiled as well, watching me fly off with Kazuma. I flushed and shook my head. Ooh boy. Father certainly knows. If he was any happier he'd be leaping into the air and throwing flower petals.

"It's gonna be awkward to come back home..." I muttered. How often does a dad smile and wave as his daughter is taken off by a man to be ravished? Then again, Kazuma had clued me in to the fact that Father really wanted to get me and the wind mage to be a couple, so he was probably happy to see us leaving together. I have such a weird family... And I'm incredibly dense. How had I not realized that all those "jobs" at resorts, spas, and parks hadn't been set-ups? I'm truly an idiot princess, I think.

"You can stay at the apartment." Kazuma offered as we flew over the city, wind whipping my hair around us like a vow, linking us together. "I know it isn't exactly as nice as what the Princess is used to, but..."

I snorted. Not as nice? Kazuma's apartment is way better than the main house. I live in a centuries old traditional style home, not one that has all the modern amenities and gadgets already built in. Sliding paper doors don't slam when you're angry, and there's no privacy since my Father is always around, or the servants. If anyone lives like a princess, it's Kazuma, not me.

"Shut it, pervert." I answered, watching as we flew over the city towards the apartment. The sun was just starting to set, a rose tint taking over the sky. Kazuma tightened his arm around my waist and started to descend, heading for the top floor of an apartment complex where he had the nicest room. He set down on the balcony and stepped away, blowing the door to the apartment open. Stepping inside, he turned and met my gaze.

"Well, princess?" He asked, arching an eyebrow. What in the world is he up to now? I don't understand this man at all. Kazuma was still waiting, just watching me from the inside of his apartment. What does he want now?

Without saying another word, he turned and walked off into his abode, leaving me with the wide open door. My mouth flopped open as he disappeared inside. What what what? I don't get it at all! Glowering, I stomped inside and slammed the door shut. Such a temperamental man! And on my birthday, no less.

Purposely turning in the opposite direction he'd walked away in, I stormed across his far too nice suite and slammed the door at the end of a small hall open. Muttering under my breath, feeling the air around me warming, I walked in. Only when my foot slipped on a discarded shirt on the hardwood floor did I realize where I was. This was Kazuma's bedroom!

I've been in here before. Sometimes I have to wake the lazy mage up, and just a few weeks ago, Kazuma had carried me in naked, but... my cheeks flames. I'd just walked in on my on this time, and Kazuma was not in here already. Somehow, that seems intimate. Like I'm... eager or something. My eyes darted to the clothes carelessly lying around and the huge bed which took up half the room.

There was something laying on the bed. I tossed my hair back and tiptoed across the room, crawling up onto the black silk sheets and the velvet comforter - and where had he found these things? - and reaching until my fingers touched cool glass and metal. A picture frame? I reached a little further and grabbed it, perching on the edge of the bed with my feet swinging off the sides as I flipped the picture over so I could see it.

My face stared back at me. Well, mine and Ren's, but I was definitely the center of the picture. It was an older photo, one taken by my Father shortly after Kazuma had shown back up in our lives. I had my arms wrapped around a laughing Ren, my own face open and happy. My hair was tangled in the wind, flowing across the splash of blue sky that was the same color of Kazuma's eyes when he fully utilized his powers. How had Kazuma gotten this picture? Why did he even have it?

Staring at it harder, I saw that the picture was crooked in the frame, and that there appeared to be another picture behind the first. Flipping the frame over, I pried those little clasps up, only hurting myself twice before I got the back off. Taking a deep breath, I lifted the second picture free and turned it over.

For a moment, I couldn't believe my eyes. I gaped for a long moment at the photo I held in my hands, then I stood up and, fire crackling in my hair, started for the door. Before I reached it, though, it opened and the man I was looking for stepped in. Seeing him, I growled low in my throat and held up the picture.

"Kazuma. What's this?" I asked. He looked at it and smiled, gliding forward with that unnatural grace he always exhibited and plucking the photo from my hands.

"A picture, of you." He answered, staring fondly at it, before flipping the paper around so I could it again. My cheeks heated even more. When had he taken it? I know that's not a picture he could get from anyone in my family, because no one in the family would be stupid enough to sneak into my room at home while I'm asleep to snap a candid portrait of me. Especially not when my pajamas had come unbuttoned and the top was falling off my body, leaving my chest pretty much exposed from head to waist. Only one person I could think of would be pervy enough, daring enough, stupidly powerful enough, to get away with doing such a thing.

"I can see that, you idiotic bane of women, but I'm asking when you took it?" I shouted, clapping my hands together. Before I could pull them apart so I could skewer Kazuma with Enraiha, he let the picture fall to the floor and pressed his hands against mine, keeping my palms together so that I couldn't generate the sword.

"About a week after you and I killed Ryuya Kazamaki. I actually have a fair collection of Ayano pictures. Your father kept sending me on missions with you where your friends would tag along and take pictures, and I would then receive in the mail anonymously. So I kept them." He said, stepping closer to me. Defensively, I took a step back. He continued advancing forward until my legs hit the edge of the bed and I flopped down, staring up at Kazuma. "But I won't need them any longer, since I have the real woman in my apartment. In my bed." He whispered, voice dark.

I couldn't tear my gaze away as he pulled his ever-present jacket (I mean, I guess he needs it since he flies pretty high in the sky where it gets cool, but it is summer!) off, tossing it aside before he leaned down. I didn't shrink away from him or draw my eyes away.

"I'm going to burn every picture you own with me in it." I told him as his lips drew closer. He paused for a moment, then smiled at me.

"That's fine. I don't need them any longer." He responded, ghosting his lips against my cheek, tasting the heat of my blush. I turned my head away, staring at the rumpled sheets around us. Need the picture? Why? And speaking of the picture...

"Kazuma, why... why was the picture in your bed?" I asked, suddenly confused. It had looked like the cover photo of me and Ren had been shoved into the frame quickly, like someone had been in a hurry. And normally picture frames are placed in safe places like tables and dressers. But I'd found the frame in the bed. So why?

Kazuma sighed. His arms snaked up around my body and held me close as he fell to his side, keeping me pressed against him, chest to chest. His brandy eyes never lifted from my face as his fingers stroked through my hair. He's always touching my hair, so I guess he really likes it.

"Princess, have you talked to Akira?" He asked abruptly. I furrowed my brow at him. Of course I've spoken to Akira; she's the keeper of the histories and also the teacher for the Kannagi children! Plus, she's one of the few strong female fire users in the family beside me, so she's kind of been a surrogate mother to me all these years.

"Yeah, Cousin Akira and I talk all the time. Just last week, we were talking about the different kinds of flames and how they reflect people's personalities and - "

Kazuma interrupted me. "No, I mean about sex."

My mind blanked. Sex? No one... no one has ever talked to me about it before, not even Father. I know about it, of course. Nanase and Yukari are always lending me books and telling me about things like that. Detective Tachibana also insinuated some times about adult matters like that, and now whenever Catherine decided to visit Japan she was always asking about if I'd slept with Kazuma yet. I still don't understand why she'd had such a massive freak out when I'd told her yes we have slept together. She'd asked, and it wasn't that big a secret that Kazuma snuck into my bedroom when he'd had a nightmare. I'd only realized that when he'd shaken me awake a few months ago and smitted to doing it almost since he'd first come back. But s-s-sex? No one was going to talk to a young woman like me so blatantly about a subject like that!

Kazuma must have seen the confused horror in my face because he'd groaned and buried his face in my shoulder. "Dammit, Ayano, you're making this hard on me!" He bit my neck in retaliation.

"What did I do?! People just don't come out and talk about such things, you perverted man!" I squeaked, struggling to get free of him. He tightened his arms around me and blew out a breath. "Let me go, you pig!"

"Not happening. I'm not letting you go from me. But, do you honestly understand what is going to happen tonight?" He asked, resting his forehead against mine. "I don't want to ever hurt you or scare you, Ayano. Enough people are terrified of me already. If you ever showed fear to me, I don't know what I would do."

I snorted. "Only idiots would be afraid of you, Kazuma. You aren't going to scare me or hurt me, but if you do, honestly, do you expect me to take it laying down? I'm a spirit magic user as well, you know, and I wield the Crimson Flame. I'd get you back five times over whatever you did to me." I smiled and blew my bangs out of the way. "Because I'm Ayano Kannagi."

"Because you're an idiot." Kazuma amended my statement, letting me go and rolling onto his back. "Well, if you're so eager to come to your demise, I guess there's no need to hold back. I'll just teach you as we go." He said, putting his arms behind his head. I sat up and looked down at him, confused. Again. I'm always off balance and baffled by this man.

"Teach me what?" I asked, sitting on my knees and crossing my arms under my bust, chin lifting. Kazuma called it my princess look, but I've noticed that when I use it, his eyes get hotter and he's more willing to admit things to me.

He grinned and lifted a hand. I placed mine in his tentatively, shrieking when he yanked me over so that I fell, splayed out on top of him. One hand clapped onto my rear, pressing m lower body down. I flushed. "Teach you about being an adult and what making love is like."

I couldn't say anything to that. I knew that asking him to take me was going to be s-s-sex, but... I hadn't actually thought about the actual mechanics of the act. Whenever we do things together, I just let Kazuma take the lead and follow him. He's taught me everything I know about physicality and being a man and woman. I know that I'm still woefully unaware of most aspects of a relationship, but I trust Kazuma. Which is why, I guess, I didn't asked Cousin Akira to teach me anything. I don't want anyone but Kazuma to guide me into this. My face grew hotter and I pressed my burning cheek against Kazuma's neck.

"Ok. That's fine. But just so you know, I'm going to learn everything you have to teach and then use it to knock that stupid smug smirk right off you pervy face, Kazuma Yagami!" I announced, curling my hand into the fabric of his shirt. A low laugh rumbled in his chest as his hand on my rear stroked up my back to curl gently around the nape of my neck. With a gentle pressure, he guided my lips to his and claimed my breath in a gentle kiss that touched my heart and made my entire body quiver.

"I can't wait, Princess." He whispered when he finally released my lips, framing my face in his hands. The palms were rough, covered in scars and calluses that felt so good against my skin. I shivered, a soft gasp escaping my mouth. His attention instantly riveted onto my lips. "Can't wait." He muttered, pressing me down harder this time, his mouth bruising in force against my own.

His warm tongue lapped at my lips, and I opened them readily. I crave the connection, the energy, I feel when Kazuma kisses me. Our tongues duel, twining together and dancing apart, air slipping between us, saliva shared, an intimate taste of fire and wind. While greedily devouring my mouth, Kazuma slipped his hands down my back, inching his fingers under the thin blue - my new favorite color, thanks to him - blouse I wore. He inched it up little by little, fingers dancing along my spine. I made a soft sound of wanting.

The warm hands on my back suddenly tightened and Kazuma pulled me closer until there wasn't room for air between our bodies. I squeaked at the sudden motion, legs on either side of his to support my balance. A denim clad leg shoved between my thighs, bared in the white mini skirt I wore. I pulled away with a gasp, suddenly a little uncertain of what was going on. Kazuma has opened my legs before, but usually only after I'm delirious, so that I'm not aware. This time, I could feel the cool air coiling against my damp panties and looked away, embarrassed. Just a kiss and already...

"It's alright, Ayano, don't be ashamed. This is normal." Kazuma said, voice a little course. His face was tight and his hands on my body clutching a little too tightly. He was holding himself back, not what he normally does. Even I can tell how hard it is for him to go slow for me. Kazuma is incredibly selfish. I know it. So does he. But I love him even more for being flawed. It shows he's human. And he is restraining himself, for me. Who wouldn't love a man who would do that, especially a selfish man? Reaching out, I ran my finger down his tight face, smiling shyly. He nipped at my fingers, sucking the tip in gently.

I shuddered lightly, watching as my finger was gently nibbled and drawn deeper into Kazuma's warm mouth. That's another thing which shocked me. Even though I burn hotter than him, and normally he feels cool to me, the moment we start playing, Kazuma becomes hot. Burning hot, a heat that I crave with all my being. Holding my gaze, he let my finger slowly slide out of his mouth, wet.

"Kazuma…" I breathed his name, fingers stroking the smooth skin on his throat, my damp finger dipping into the hollow of his collarbone, pulling a few top buttons on his shirt open so I could feel him more. He trembled under my touch, and shoved his leg higher, his thigh rubbing against the part of me that dampened for him.

From what I understand about this, the wetness was good. If I didn't have it, Kazuma couldn't take me. But my innate modesty and shyness - which do exist despite Kazuma saying they don't just because my preferred method of attack usually involves a high kick- made me squeeze my legs together, trying to stop and hide the truth of what Kazuma's ghosting caresses and smell, what his kiss did to me.

Kazuma laughed and leaned forward, kissing my throat. I gasped out air and arched my neck back, allowing his soft lips more access. Despite how caustically he talks, Kazuma's lips are always gentle on me, at contrast with his personality and words. I felt thrills of sensation zinging through me as he gently let his mouth travel over the soft white skin. My neck was so sensitive that the lightest brush sent heat and tingling arousal straight to my core. My eyes fluttered shut as ecstasy overtook me. A moan, low and needy, leaked out of my throat.

"Shit, Ayano, don't be so sexy." He muttered, trailing his lips up until he nibbled on my chin. "Especially when I'm trying to keep in control here." He licked my lips before sealing his over them. I moaned without sound as he wiggled his tongue into my mouth and moved his lips over mine. I've discovered through our play that Kazuma loves deep, wet kisses. He loves to share saliva and air, stirring up our emotions and heightening sensation. I'm starting to love kissing this way, too. I can't get satisfied unless I'm left panting from his kiss. My hands clutching at him, my only anchor in this world of feeling.

He rolled a little, half pinning my body beneath him as he pressed closer and devoured my lips. As his tongue stabbed inside the cavern of my mouth, his hands went back to stroking my bare back, this time sliding the blouse up. I lifted my arms so he could whisk my blouse off over my head, leaving me in my skirt and bra. I felt a small shiver of self-depreciation. My body is not very feminine and delicate, not soft and curved like the other women I have seen Kazuma with. I'm a martial artist and a fighter. I have muscles. My chest and curves are subtle. Would he like it? Every other time I've been bare, it's been dark, so that he can't see me well, but now I was visible. I don't want him to not like me because of my body.

However, Kazuma looked at me like I was the most beautiful woman in the world. He surged up and claimed my lips as he slipped a hand under the clasp of my bra, snapping it open so the fabric slipped down to the bed, only to be tossed away by my impatient man. I gasped into his mouth, which allowed his tongue to stab in deeper. We shared a serious of deep, open mouthed kisses that had us making all sorts of wet sucking sounds as we each tried to drown in the other. Finally, Kazuma pulled away and rested his forehead against mine, breathing erratically, as my breasts brushed against his clothed chest. Alright, I'm tired of being the one swept away here! I may not know what I'm doing, at all, but I can play! I licked his chin, then proceeded to lick and lightly nip at his neck and shoulders, shaking fingers struggling to pull the buttoned up shirt off of him.

"Ayano... You're going to break my control, princess." He said, smiling. I slid my hands into his thick brown hair and smiled up at him as well. I love knowing I can bring this powerful, tightly controlled man to the edge. I love that his feelings for me are so deep, I can make an impact on him just by being me. Plus, I enjoy being able to aggravate him, even if it is in a sexual way, in every way.

Feeling frisky and sneaky, I suddenly sat up on Kazuma and straddled his waist, rising up onto my knees above him. Smile growing more devious by the second, I slipped my white mini skirt down my legs and off one leg, leaving me dressed in just my panties. Kazuma stopped breathing, eyes not moving from my exposed body, or my damp underwear. I shook my long, straight as a pin flame colored hair back and stared down at him. My hair floated around us. I've realized that Kazuma loves to hold it, wrapping us both in the strands as we slept together or as he kissed me until my entire body burned like a flame of passion. I like to feel him tugging on it, like he occasionally does to get my attention, or when he's walking with me and just plays with it absently. If he likes my hair when we aren't in bed, what will he do with it inside of the bedroom?

The erotic thought made me swallow hard. His effect on me should be illegal. How does he make me, a person who I feel is rather normal, become such a passionate hot mess? I could feel him watching me and my eyes grew heavy with desire. Kazuma's own eyes were dark with hunger for me. He suddenly reached up and grabbed my palm, guiding it down to his crotch. I swallowed hard, flush spreading out across my face and chest. I could feel his member standing up proudly beneath his denim pants, a brand of masculinity I've only touched once before. The one time I'd given him a handjob he'd gotten so hot and riled up that he'd forbade me from ever touching him there again until we were ready to go all the way, because me having my hands on him was just too much. I guess this means I'm free to touch him again. The feeling of him being in his pants beneath me and my being almost totally bare and open for whatever he wanted to do to my body was thrilling. I flexed my hand, squeezing him just slightly and snickering at the groan he let out. _Score one, Ayano._

"Princess, stop teasing me. Come here." He ordered in a choked voice. I slowly crawled back up his body, aligning myself to him, hips to hips. Running my tongue over my teeth and keeping my eyes locked with his, I slowly ground aching breast against his body. I felt like some siren was taking me over, a secret part of me that was driven only by passion. I just wanted to feel more of Kazuma. My inhibitions were burning away in the flame of our feelings. My embarrassment faded. He reached for me, grabbing my hips hard. I was going to have bruises. The thought made my body grow even warmer._ I guess I'm a pervert, too._

He rolled and pinned me under his body again, giving me another wet kiss before starting to trail kisses down my body, leaving marks on my pale skin He left then on my neck and arms, as well as on my breasts. I arched my body as he sucked on my nipple and bit it, leaving it wet and rosy. He pinched the other one between his fingers and pulled the hard nubbin gently, making me gasp and squirm.

The pervert knew that was his cue; I didn't need to tell him, since he's so attuned to my body at this point. He slid further down my form until his face was right over my wet panties. Chuckling low in his throat, he rubbed his thumb against the plump flesh covered by dampened cotton.

"Haa!" Startled, I breathed out harshly from my throat, unable to think of how to speak as his thumb pushed against the cotton, sliding in the moisture he'd called forth from my body. My eyes widened at the pleasured pressure rocking through my body. As he worked me, Kazuma's mouth was busy kissing and sucking on my thighs, leaving rosy kiss marks all over my skin. If I went out in the clothes I'd arrived in, people would be able to see almost all the marks on my body! _Perverted Kazuma!_ His free hand played with my body. One hand fondled my breast, squeezing and pinching, making me go insane. I wanted him to touch the other breast, too, but I didn't want him to stop touching me there.

"K-Kazuma!" I croaked, tears of frustration building in my eyes. He leaned up and gently kissed the years away, claiming my mouth as he pulled my panties softly down and away. My brain cleared up for a moment, modesty reasserting itself. I'm completely naked! My arms rose and tried to cover myself. not wanting him to see me. The dusky light of the last rays of twilight danced over me through the open window across the room.

Kazuma caught my wrists. "No, don't. Keep your hands down, Ayano. Please. Let me play." He whispered, going back down my body and spreading my thighs again. Play? What does he mean now? His finger nudged into the wet and wanting entrance and wiggled around. My hips jerked and lifted, but he forced them back down. Looking up at me from between my legs, he smirked, that stupid arrogant smile I love to hate. I clenched my teeth and grabbed fistfuls of his hair, throwing my head back as I panted for breath. I couldn't keep my hands down. I have to touch him, feel this man's burning skin under my hands. To make sure he is real, that this is really happening. How can he be so hot when I'm the fire magic user here? Well, he is still a Kannagi, I guess, somewhere inside... Every muscle in my body was held tight as he readied me for our lovemaking. My body clenched around his invading finger, and I gasped, wincing a little in fear.

Even though it barely registered to me, Kazuma instantly noticed and lifted his head, crawling up my body despite my disappointed moan. I really wanted him to keep doing whatever wonderful things he was doing to me. Claiming my mouth he kissed me silly, and I tasted his special bitter flavor once again. I could get addicted to his taste. I probably already am. Pulling out of our kiss he hung over me on his hands and smiled.

"Are you ready, Ayano?" He asked, voice deliciously rough. I met his gaze and swallowed hard, nodding. What an idiot. I'd come here of my own free will, hadn't I? He's asking for me, I know, but it should be obvious by now exactly how ready I am. I smiled. I guess in some ways he's always going to be tender with me. I'm his princess, after all.

Kazuma kissed me quick, hard and brief, then rose over me again. My body jerked when I felt one of his hot hands slide against my softest core, finger slipping into the entrance that was greedy for him. I was unable to keep from rocking onto my hips onto his digit, my voice rising as I neared my release. I wanted to stop rolling my hips in time with his thrusting fingers, but couldn't, pleasure taking me over. I have no idea what to expect, but if his finger being inside me was any clue, then I probably was going to be unable to talk or walk tomorrow. My brain would be too scrambled. I am dying to be connect to Kazuma, fully, completely, at last.

His finger stilled, the frantic thrusting motion slowing to a stop, and I groaned. I had been close... to what, I don't know, but close to something wonderful. The feeling of extreme bliss - what I usually only felt after eating a truly decadent cake - had been building in my chest only a million times more powerful and wonderful. I wanted it to roll over me completely, wreck my body. Kazuma laughed at my desperate whine.

"What a spoiled princess." He whispered, kissing my navel and then sternum. I growled at him, lifting a hand and pointing at him warningly. Kazuma just lifted the corners of his lips and smiled at me. Damn him. He knows I can't keep mad at him when he smiles, truly smiles, at me. Jerk.

He got on his knees in front of me, softly spreading my thighs as he slipped his shirt off completely, the buckle of his belt clanking as he finally freed himself from the confines of his pants. My breathing became choppy as he slid his denim down, finally allowing me to see him. That was going to go... in me? That's what the books said, anyway. Alarm rose, a little belatedly, I think. Seriously? How would that be possible? But, I know I wanted it. Badly. He aligned his hips with mine, nudging me gently. I trust Kazuma completely, so I nudged back against him and he chuckled, rubbing the heated cock head against my swollen entry.

"Finally, Ayano... you're finally mine." He whispered, voice almost reverent. Hands clamping on my hips, he slowly started forcing his large shaft into me. I was terrified, I admit. Kazuma is rather big, and my body was resisting him despite how embarrassingly wet I was. He hung his head and paused, panting as he shifted his grip on my hips. His shaft inched in more. It forced me open wider and made my body burn as I stretched for him. I cried out in pain, hands rising to clutch at Kazuma's surprisingly strong arms. Carting me around in the sky must be a good workout...

"Hurts!" I croaked, head tossing against the soft sheets. Tears fell out of my eyes and rolled back into my hair. Kazuma shifted against me, lifting himself higher so he could lean over me and kiss my cheeks and nose. His breath fell painfully against my neck.

"Ayano... Ayano, do you want me to stop?" He asked. I blinked the tears away and met his gaze. His face was dusted with heat, body tensed and straining as he held himself still against me. In his eyes, I read desperation and fear. Kazuma wants me, I know, but because he loves me as well... he would deny himself. Because he is so afraid of hurting and losing the woman he adores.

I clutched him and drew in a deep breath. Using my skills at meditation (learned at a young age by my father's request because I am apparently a hothead) I slowly relaxed my body as well I could, the painful tensing of my muscles releasing on his tip as it slipped further into me. "Don't stop, Kazuma, please." I begged, biting my lip. "I don't want to not be yours." He stared at me for a moment, then cupped my face and kissed me so lovingly that my soul glowed.

"You've always been mine, Ayano, and you always will be." He promised against my lips, kissing the soft, sweat-slicked hair at my temple before pulling his hips back and thrusting into me hard. A tearing bolt of pain shot through my body, ripping a scream from my throat. For a moment, my world was entirely made of pain, and then, slowly, the soft burn of passion started to build in my core. Trembling, I wrapped my arms around Kazuma and held myself close to him, skin sliding together. He wrapped his arms around my, holding me close. I kissed his shoulder, stifling my whimpering cries by biting him. Hard. Which, conversely, seemed to turn him on. Panting, he started moving faster.

With each thrust I felt such intense pleasure that soon I was reduced to a panting, shaking heap on the bed. The fire was building within me, being stoked higher and higher with each move Kazuma made. I moved in time with his thrusts, undulating my body to try to catch every angle and make him hit every spot. Finally, he fully sheathed himself fully inside me, from root to tip. I felt stuffed full, burning hot from the inside out as he spread me, stretched me, his thick desire proof of the deep love he held for me. Tears sparkled in my eyes. This, this act of joining our bodies together, is the physical proof of our mutual love.

_Kazuma, you arrogant jerk, I love you._ My body tightened, emotions spilling over as Kazuma grunted in response to my sudden heat wrapping tighter around him. His eyes looked at mine. I couldn't help it; I smirked at him. He laughed and leaned over me, kissing my hair covered, sweat slicked neck and chest. He wrapped the long strands of my hair around his hands and kissed me again, snuggling his hips against me, the rough wiry hairs of his crotch tickling my skin. Just another difference between men and women. An amazing, wondrous, perfect difference.

His voice was hot and rough with emotion when he spoke against my scalding skin. "I love you more than I ever thought it was possible to love another person. You've saved me, Ayano." He said, locking his hands on my hips, my hair still in his grasp, as he slowly drew his shaft halfway out and shoved it back in. I opened my mouth wide in a pleasure-shattered scream and gasped for air, shoving my body back against him as he set up a brutal rhythm. My sensitive nerves thrummed with each thrust, sending pleasure through every part of my body until I thought my eyes would roll back from the sensations. Then he hit a deep place inside me, sending stars shooting through my body, his blunt head ramming into me. I instantly clenched my muscles on him, as my back arched, body coiling higher, lust mingling with love to bring me to the dazzling brink of orgasm.

"Kazuma, stop... Hurry up!" I panted, tossing my head back and forth, my body clenching on him so hard that for a moment his motion within me was impeded.

He groaned deeply and we both held still as my walls pulsed around his molten heat, gripping him so tightly he cursed. "I'm trying, but you have to let me move here, princess." He gritted out, suddenly pulling his cock out until only the tip remained in before thrusting forward violently, hitting that spot again.

I whimpered, on the edge of insanity because of my lust. He gave a breathy laugh. "See? I said you have to let me move." He whispered against my neck as he slammed back in full force. His shaft hit that sensitive spot repeatedly and my back arched uncontrollably as sensations shot straight to my heart and body. Kazuma forced me to lie still by putting his hand in the middle of my chest and pushing down. Then he pulled my hips up so he had the best angle to tunnel into me from.

The new angle allowed him to slide inside me even further, reaching the hottest depths of my core. My hair tangled around us as he rocked into me, leaning over to bite my neck and shoulders lovingly. His breath fell against my skin in rapid hot bursts, and his member inside me was almost too hard. I gripped him so tightly he had to force it through me. I could feel the rush of blood through it, the tremble of his body against me as he too fought off his orgasm for as long as he could. I don't know what to expect, what comes next, but I know I have to feel it. I crave it. _Kazuma..._

He was ramming into my body hard now, grunting with the force of his thrusts and hitting every sensitive spot I had. Tears leaked out of my eyes as I called his name and came with a shudder. I tightened my muscles as I climaxed and caused Kazuma to spurt his hot release inside me with a grunted moan, coming so much he leaked out around his cock as he fell to his side with me wrapped in his arms. I shuddered as I felt the excess dripping out of me, but made no move to allow him to pull out. I wanted to feel joined for as long as possible. It's amazing, to be linked with another, the person I love.

My chest rose and fell rapidly, and my body was covered in sweat. Kazuma finally unwound his hands from my hair, letting the soft strands fall over me and the black sheets like ribbons of fiery silk. Leaning over, he kissed me sweetly, brushing his lips over my eyes and nose before burying his face in my hair and breathing deeply my scent. I held him as he held me, feeling warm with him against my chest.

"My princess." He breathed, kissing me again. His lips wouldn't stop curving upward, making it hard for us to kiss. I could feel his happiness, brushing against my skin. My mind was reeling. What we had just done... I still couldn't understand exactly all that had gone on, but I knew one thing for certain: I'm his. He's inside me, filling me with heat and desire, love and companionship. I can feel him still. My body was still softly trembling with aftershocks of the huge explosion of feelings which had stabbed through me. A soft sigh left me.

"Kazuma?"

"Hmn?" He hummed his response, still nuzzling my skin and stroking his hands over my back, through my hair, as though he couldn't stop touching me yet. Not that I want him to.

"You're mine, too, ya know." I whispered, biting his shoulder as it hung in front of me. He nodded and tugged on a strand of my hair.

"Yes, yes. I know how greedy and selfish you Kannagi are." He teased, a breeze flipping up the sheets so he could grab them and wrap the soft fabric around us as the night started sneaking in. I growled at him, but couldn't really muster any anger. I felt too good, damn him and his skills. "Stay here, Ayano."

I giggled. "It's too late to head back now, you idiot." I countered, curling into his body tighter. Holding him, feeling his warm body against mine... I could touch him. I've always wanted to, drove myself insane holding back, and now I don't have to know. I traced my fingers over a star shaped scar on his shoulder.

"No. I mean, stay here, with me. Move in with me, Ayano." He said, pulling back to put some distance between us so he could see my eyes. "I... now that your scent is in my bed, now that I have felt you, held you, I won't be able to stop myself from holding back from you. I need you with me. I know I'm a bad man, but -"

_Bring bring bring!_ The beeping of a phone broke into his voice. His eyes darkened with anger and he looked at the clothing lying on the floor. The incessant noise continued until he growled and slipped free of my arms, digging through his jacket until he found his cell phone. As he looked at the caller ID, his eyebrow twitched, but he answered.

"Yeah, hello." A pause. "What? Right now? Alright, alright, I know." He covered the phone with one hand. "Jugo wants to yak at you. Make him hang up soon. I want an answer to my offer now." He said, handing his phone to me.

I took it, feeling my face turn red. I'm naked, in Kazuma's bed, with our mingled essence between my thighs, and now I have to talk to Father? Why does this stuff always happen to me? "Yes, Father?" I asked, having to clear my throat a little to hide the hoarseness caused by my earlier creaming. Which reminds me... is Kazuma's apartment soundproof? EEK! _Please let any neighbors he has been deaf, elderly and hard of hearing, please please... Wait, isn't hard of hearing the same as deaf? Ah, Ayano, focus your stupid idiot brain! _

"Ayano, I was wondering if you prefer to stay at the head house or if you'll be living with Kazuma for now. Eventually you will have to return to the ancestral home, obviously, but for awhile I can allow you to have a little more freedom." Father asked politely, not a word betraying what he was actually feeling right now. However, his tone was so gosh darned chipper that... wait. I blinked, unable to speak. What had he just asked me? Father snapped his fingers. "Oh, and that also reminds me, when are you two planning on getting married? Soon, correct?"

"M-m-married? To Kazuma? What are you blabbing on about?" I stammered, sitting up and clutching the sheet to my chest.

"Well, didn't he take you to his apartment to claim you as his woman? You have to marry him now, Ayano. So, would you like a fall wedding, or would you rather wait until summer? Kannagi's usually wed in the summer, after all." He said. I felt my anger boiling. Control...control... _screw it._

"I'M NOT GETTING MARRIED! Especially not to Kazuma Lame-Brain Yagami, you hear me!" I hung the phone up and threw it, not caring where, glaring at the laughing wind mage holding his stomach as he watched me. "Have any problems with that, Kazuma?"

He just shook his head, wiping at his eyes. "I'll get you, Princess. Now that I have you, eventually you'll be wearing my ring, and sporting my name. But until then..." He jumped, pushing me back down into the tousled sheets. "I'm going to mark you as mine the old fashioned way."

I squealed and kicked my legs as he started nipping at me again, but then I started laughing and wrapped my arms around him, feeling happier than I'd felt in a long time. No matter what the future held for us, Kazuma and I are together now, and will face all the problems as a team. I punched his shoulder and made him look at me.

"You're going to have to work hard to convince me to marry you. It's rather difficult to make me change my mind." I warned.

Kazuma laughed and leaned down until his lips hovered over mine. "That's fine. I enjoy arguing with you. I'll spend my whole life convincing you to be mine." He swore, claiming my lips in a tender kiss that melted my heart and my body. As he climbed over me once more, I glanced outside and for a moment, though I saw a ribbon of white fire dancing like wind through the sky, but then I blinked and it was gone.

_Whatever._

I pulled my lips away from Kazuma and stared into his eyes. "Hold me." I whispered, pulling him down to me. He rolled so I lay tucked against his side, my back to his chest, and held me tightly. Together, we lay entwined on the bed and watch the night silently slip by.

"I'll never let you go. We're together, forever, Ayano. My Flame Princess, the fire to my wind."

-Note: Done. This is the last chapter of Fire of Winds! I hope you liked it, I tried to pack in as much LOVE and HOTNESS as I could. I also left it open ended, since many people have been asking (threatening) for a sequel. I may write one eventually, but for now I'm going to focus on another story of mine that has been waiting patiently for completion for awhile now. Anyway, thank you, you loverly readers, who stuck with me until the end. I hope this is what you were hoping for. My friend told me I went a little overboard with the sex, but I don't think so... Hehehe! Until next time!


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